Conservation Challenges Facing the Heritage of Mama Ngina Drive Public Park, Mombasa

Abstract

Cultural landscape as part of our heritage presents conservation challenges despite the current use. The role played by the community in the management of sites needed to be taken as a matter of urgency. The study also suggests measures for proper conservation to ensure the sustainability of Mama Ngina Drive Public Park for future generations. This study was carried out at Mama Ngina Drive Public Park, which is located on the southern part of Mombasa Island. The respondents targeted were local visitors grouped in sex such as males and females aged 18 years and above. 100 respondents were purposely selected from among visitors coming from Mombasa Island and neighborhoods. A structured questionnaire was designed for the above respondents. Interviews were held with the key informants to shed light to some issues. Purposive sampling technique was, applied to select the respondents. Mama Ngina Drive Public Park was purposely selected. The study concluded that natural forces and human actions are generally the agents that can destroy a site and its values. These sources of deterioration act continuously on the site and they range from minor to major activities such as erosion, land grabbing, car washing, driving lessons, visitors littering and natural forces such as vegetation and soil erosion caused by humans. The study also concluded that the current legal provision to protect the heritage seems to be inadequate. The study recommends ways through which the community, site conservation, site presentation, safety, and site management can be overwhelmed.