The government has announced plans to protect heritage sites across the country from encroachment and grabbing through a comprehensive land titling programme.

The said initiative will involve collaboration between the national and county governments to preserve cultural and historical sites for future generations.

Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, Arts and Heritage, Ms Hannah Cheptumo, decried that Kenya’s cultural identity was under pressure from human activities. 

She spoke during a visit to Fort Jesus in Mombasa County, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation  (UNESCO) world heritage site built in the 16th century. 

The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) has been fighting developers in Mtwapa in Kilifi County and other areas who have encroached on key heritage sites located on prime beach land.

“What we see today at Fort Jesus is a result of years of preservation. The site has become both an educational and business hub where young people showcase traditional crafts and sell artefacts to tourists,” she said.

Cheptumo commended the French government for supporting the digitalisation of the site and called for continued community involvement in conservation efforts, including tree planting to support the national goal of growing 15 billion trees by 2032.

She also encouraged the promotion of Swahili food and traditions as part of cultural preservation.

“This is an important site that must be protected. We urge the Mombasa county government to work with us to safeguard it. We have a duty to preserve what we found and pass it on to the next generation,” she said.

National NMK board chairman, Mr Edwin Abonyo, said the institution has embarked on titling all its heritage sites to prevent encroachment, especially in Kilifi County, where such cases have been rampant.

“These are national monuments that must be protected. While we support devolution, we must be clear that national monuments such as Fort Jesus are not devolved entities,” Abonyo stated.

He added that NMK has rolled out the National Product Industry (NPI) programme in 13 counties to document and digitise Kenya’s diverse cultural practices, including traditional medicine and cuisine.

“We are building a national digital repository to preserve this knowledge for future generations,” he stated.

NMK managing director, Prof. Mary Gikungu, commended the NMK team for their continued support in preserving the legacy of Fort Jesus.

“We are proud that youth hubs are embracing this history and interpreting it in modern ways. It is an honour to be entrusted with the protection of our country’s national heritage,” she said.

NMK currently hosts the Swahili pot hub, where youth gather from across the Coast region to participate in various innovation activities.