The government has taken steps to safeguard the historic Manyimbo World War Cemetery in Mombasa by declaring it a national monument, a move aimed at preserving Kenya’s military and cultural heritage.
In a gazette notice issued Friday, June 19, Gender, Culture and Children Services Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo announced that the cemetery would be designated a protected national monument because of its historical importance.
Cheptumo said the notice, issued under the National Museums and Heritage Act, is intended to preserve the site for its historical value and keep it available for future generations.
The notice states that, using powers granted under section 25(1)(b) of the National Museums and Heritage Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services has identified the site as historically significant and as a national monument under the law.
The declaration means the site will receive protection, shielding it from destruction, encroachment or unauthorised alterations.
The gazette notice says anyone who wishes to challenge the declaration must file objections with the Cabinet Secretary within 60 days of publication.
It adds that any objection to the declaration must be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary within sixty (60) days from the date the notice is published.
The cemetery, covering about 0.1489 hectares, is situated in Tudor Four Sub-location, Tudor Location, Mvita Sub-county in Mombasa County.
The site holds 225 Commonwealth burials and 14 unidentified graves dating to the Second World War.
It is associated with Kenya’s wartime history and stands as a reminder of the role Africans and local communities played during global conflicts.
The site is currently managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and is open to the public every day from 6 am to 6 pm.
Once formally gazetted, the cemetery will be added to the country’s list of protected heritage sites preserved under Kenya’s cultural heritage framework.