During a Senate Mashinani oversight visit, the Senate Devolution Committee highlighted that Malindi Municipality lacks a functional sewerage network and warned that heavy rains could expose residents to cholera and other public‑health threats.

Committee Chair Senator Mohamed Abbas warned that if El Niño hits, Malindi residents could die of cholera, underscoring the urgency of establishing sewerage before the rains arrive.

Senator Prof Margaret Kamar added that a municipality cannot function effectively without a sewer line, reinforcing the committee’s stance that basic sanitation is essential for municipal status.

Funding received but infrastructure still missing

Malindi was granted municipal status in March 2019 and received more than Sh916.3 million in equitable share and Urban Development Grants between FY 2020/21 and FY 2024/25, yet a basic sewerage system remains absent.

Committee Vice‑Chair Senator Catherine Mumma questioned why local rates were being collected without corresponding service delivery, pointing to a gap between revenue collection and infrastructure provision.

Malindi Municipality Board Chairperson Suleiman Salim Omar confirmed that some development projects have been suspended to redirect resources toward flood‑mitigation ahead of the anticipated rains.

Call for a binding roadmap and budget

The committee resolved to summon Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro to present a clear roadmap, budget commitments and a binding timeline for constructing comprehensive sewerage and drainage infrastructure in Malindi.

Municipal Manager Furaha Chome noted that the municipality employs 276 staff, most of whom are currently assigned to street and drainage cleaning, indicating limited capacity for large‑scale sewer construction without additional resources.