New Law Aims to Protect Kenya’s Coastal Ecosystems

Kenya Enacts Landmark Law to Shield Fragile Coastal Ecosystems from Development
In a significant move for marine conservation, Kenya has enacted a comprehensive new law designed to protect its critically important coastal and marine ecosystems from unregulated development and degradation. The Blue Economy Act, passed in 2026, establishes stringent new guidelines for coastal construction, mandates the creation of marine protected areas, and strengthens community-led conservation efforts along the entire Indian Ocean coastline. The legislation represents the most robust legal framework for ocean governance in the country’s history, balancing economic ambitions with ecological preservation.
The law specifically targets the rampant, often illegal, construction of hotels, ports, and other infrastructure that has destroyed mangrove forests, silted coral reefs, and disrupted fish breeding grounds. It introduces mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments for all major coastal projects and creates no-build zones in the most sensitive ecological areas. A key provision of the act formally recognizes and supports the role of local Beach Management Units (BMUs), empowering fishing communities to co-manage near-shore resources and benefit directly from sustainable tourism and fishing licenses.
Conservation groups have hailed the legislation as a turning point for Kenya’s blue economy agenda. For years, we have witnessed the piecemeal destruction of our coasts. This law provides the legal teeth needed to hold developers accountable and places community interests at the heart of conservation, stated a director from a Mombasa-based marine NGO. The fishing community, which has long contended with declining catches linked to habitat loss, has also welcomed the move, seeing it as vital for safeguarding their livelihoods.
The successful implementation of the Blue Economy Act is now the central challenge. Enforcement will require significant resources for monitoring and patrolling vast coastal waters. The long-term success will be measured by the recovery of fish stocks, the restoration of mangrove cover, and the ability of coastal communities to thrive. By taking this decisive step, Kenya aims to position itself as a regional leader in sustainable ocean management, demonstrating that economic development derived from the sea does not have to come at the cost of its irreversible destruction.