The Senate has laid bare the sickening reality of Mombasa's sanitation crisis, grilling Governor Abdulswamad Nassir over the revelation that 95% of the tourist city's liquid waste is discharged untreated directly into the Indian Ocean.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on County Public Investments, a beleaguered Governor Nassir was forced to admit the collapse of the city's sewerage infrastructure. The session, charged with tension, exposed a systemic failure where the renowned Kizingo and Kipevu treatment plants have been dormant for decades, effectively turning the coastline into an open sewer.

"A 17-Billion Shilling Headache"

"This is the same ocean I swam in as a child," Nassir lamented, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "But we need Ksh 17 billion to fix this. The county cannot raise this alone."

Senators were unimpressed by the financial plea, questioning how the county accounts for the disposal of waste from thousands of high-rise buildings. The audit revealed that private exhausters are dumping effluent into storm drains with impunity, a practice the Governor promised to curb with new strict liability laws for landlords.

• The Health Risk: With cholera outbreaks a recurring nightmare, the direct discharge poses an existential threat to both public health and the tourism economy.
• The Accountability Gap: The committee, led by Senator Godfrey Osotsi, demanded an immediate forensic audit of the Mombasa Water and Sanitation Company, citing "deep-seated financial rot."

The Clock is Ticking

As the Senate demands action, the residents of Mombasa are left with a bitter choice: pay for a service that doesn't exist or watch their heritage drown in filth. Governor Nassir's administration is now on notice—the era of excuses is over.