Diani apartment boom puts colobus habitat and planning rules under pressure
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Conservationists and residents in Diani, Kwale County, say rapid construction of large apartment blocks is fragmenting wildlife corridors and testing the area's zoning rules.
Rapid construction of large apartment blocks in Diani, Kwale County, is raising concern among conservationists and residents who fear that the loss of indigenous trees and fragmented wildlife corridors could put one of Kenya's important populations of Angolan colobus monkeys under further pressure.
Fredrick Onyancha of Colobus Conservation said the arboreal species depends heavily on connected tree canopies to move between feeding and resting areas, and that clearing trees and breaking up forest patches could force the monkeys to the ground, exposing them to vehicle collisions and dog attacks. He said Diani supports about 500 Angolan colobus monkeys, making it an important population outside protected areas, and that the species occurs in Kenya only in Kwale County. Colobus Conservation has previously reported that more than 80 per cent of coastal forests within the species' range have been lost to human activity.
Chairman of the South Coast Residents Association, George Mokaya, said residents are not opposed to investment but want construction to follow approved planning requirements. He said the Diani/Ukunda zoning plan, adopted by the then Kwale County Council in 2012 and gazetted, limits building heights and the proportion of land that can be covered by structures, leaving room for vegetation and open spaces. Among the developments attracting opposition is a proposed project comprising 96 apartments with ground-floor parking, four upper floors, rooftop swimming pools and a padel court.
Property owners and residents said the scale of such projects is creating uncertainty for businesses and raising questions about infrastructure capacity. Hilda Shialo, co-owner of Hilda's Homestay, said she is planning to close the business because of anticipated construction next door, while her co-owner Guido Paap said the landscape around the property has changed considerably since he acquired it. Resident Esme van Niekerk questioned the volume of wastewater a 96-unit scheme on a one-acre parcel could generate. The residents' association says the Environment and Land Court at Kwale ruled in December 2023 that non-compliant units on two Diani properties should be altered or demolished, and it wants closer coordination between the Kwale County Government, Diani Municipality, physical planning authorities and the National Environment Management Authority.