Lamu Old Town

• Management systems/ management and conservation plan
• Clarification of boundaries and buffer zone
• Pressure from urban development
• Marine transport infrastructure
• Air transport infrastructure
• Encroachment of the archaeological sites
• Housing/ Deterioration of dwellings
• Solid waste
• Non-renewable energy facilities (Coal Power plant)

Total amount provided: for a Heritage Impact Assessment in 2014: USD 85,000: Netherlands Funds-in-Trust; for a workshop on Historic Urban Landscapes in 2011: USD 22,943: Flanders Funds-in-Trust 

On 15 February 2023, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1055/documents/, and reports progress on recent Committee decisions, as follows:

• Deterioration and use of inappropriate materials in buildings within the property: a surveying and mapping programme aimed to assess the condition of buildings and streetscapes is being implemented using a mobile application tool (Kobo Collect), supported with aerial photography, and is reported to be at an advanced state. Once completed this mapping will be used to facilitate the justification of needs for funding the conservation of the property, and will also precede the completion of the Management Plan;
• Clarification of boundaries of the property and putting in place an enlarged buffer zone: The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) has developed maps, and the State Party reports the intention to submit them to the Chief Officers responsible for Culture and Urban Development for their official review and adoption by the County Council;
• Revised Management Plan and inclusion of the Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) project: The report acknowledges the need to include the boundaries and buffer zone. A draft form of the revised management plan still needs to be completed with information that will derive from the surveying and mapping project. Potential collaboration between the NMK and the LAPSSET Corridor Development authority is being pursued;
• Potential threats of the LAPSSET project on the OUV of the property: A high-level governmental delegation visited the property to assess potential threats. Follow-up activities were significantly interrupted due to electoral processes;
• Establishment of a Heritage Task Team: the Lamu Heritage Committee (LHC) has been re-established and has developed an action plan. However, the activities of the LHC were disrupted due to Covid-19 and to changes within organisations involved in the LHC. Some committee members have undertaken research, including a project funded by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) to research the impacts of large-scale infrastructure developments on coastal biodiversity. NMK and the County Government of Lamu have started setting up programmes to ensure the enforcement of development control and the improvement of public open spaces;
• Involvement of stakeholders and community: capacity building activities have been organised by the State Party to promote women and youth organisations. The Lamu Heritage Group was created to develop strategies for the conservation and management of the property;
• Setting up a core corporate social responsibility programme to ensure sufficient funds are available for conservation: there are ongoing discussions on how to frame proposals and a concept note is being developed to obtain support from specific organisations;
• The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the LAPSSET project is not completed;
• Providing information for each sub-project of LAPSSET and necessary Environmental and Heritage Impact Assessments (EIAs/HIAs) for review by the Advisory Bodies: work for the detailed plans for the Resort City and International Airport has not started. NMK participated in EIA stakeholder consultation meetings related to the Lamu Lokichar oil and gas pipeline project;
• Regarding the proposed Lamu Coal Plant and the request to propose alternative solutions to meet the electricity needs of the region and undergo thorough independent EIAs/HIAs to ensure there are no negative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property: relevant agencies will be informed of these concerns.

The State Party’s efforts in mapping and conducting a condition survey for the property demonstrate a positive step towards strengthening governance and management structures. The mapping exercise will hopefully make clear what the state of conservation of the built fabric of the property is and encourage more engagement in addressing maintenance backlogs. This mapping and analysis should be concluded and extended to include an analysis of the use of inappropriate materials and illegal constructions as well. It is crucial to ensure that the results and analysis of the condition survey are finalized and fully integrated into the revised Management Plan.

The completion of the revised Management Plan, incorporating the findings of the condition survey, and including the clarification of the property’s boundaries and buffer zone is of the utmost urgency. It may be appropriate to recall that proposals for boundaries for the property and its buffer zone should be submitted in line with Paragraph 69 of the Operational Guidelines for approval by the Committee before they are adopted in the national and county planning frameworks.

While recognizing the political issues inherent in the process, the State Party should expedite the signing of the MoU between NMK and the LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority. This MoU should ensure the purposeful involvement of NMK in decision-making processes related to the LAPSSET project, particularly concerning the preservation of the property’s OUV and other heritage along the corridor. It is also essential to engage stakeholders and conduct thorough consultations during the revision process to ensure the plan reflects the concerns and aspirations of all relevant parties. The revised Management Plan should be sent to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.

The reestablishment of the Lamu Heritage Committee is positive, but its activities and regular meetings should be reinstated, so that strategies and actions can be devised, in line with the revised Management Plan. An update on its composition – the Committee requested in its Decision 44COM 7B.6 that it be composed of relevant government agencies at the national and local levels with the support and involvement of civil society – and a report on its functioning would be welcome.

The State Party's efforts in establishing the Lamu Heritage Group and promoting sustainable tourism practices, in line with the recommendations of the 2019 Reactive Monitoring mission, are commendable. It is crucial to enhance stakeholder engagement and community involvement, with adequate communication mechanisms, particularly in decision-making processes related to the LAPSSET project and the revision of the Management Plan. The State Party’s progress towards implementing these recommendations is welcome. These actions may be further encouraged.

The completion and review of the SEA for the LAPSSET project should be prioritized as it may have significant consequences for the OUV of this property and that of the Lake Turkana National Parks World Heritage property. It is appropriate to recall that the Committee has since 2012 recorded numerous decisions on the LAPPSET project, including requesting that implementation of its various components be halted until their impacts have been assessed that an EIA and HIA be undertaken and that an SEA be undertaken. It remains imperative to assess both individual and cumulative impacts of the project and its sub-projects on the OUVs of these properties. As already requested in previous Committee Decisions, the State Party must ensure that the necessary EIAs/HIAs are conducted for each sub-project and that the findings are submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before irreversible decisions are made.

Given the continuing concern regarding ascertained and potential threats to the OUV of the property, the Committee may wish to recommend that the State Party provide a clear timeline for submission of the SEA and other relevant EIAs/HIAs to the World Heritage Centre, for their review by the Advisory Bodies and update it in detail on the status of the project and its various components. These should inform the revised Management Plan of the property.

A joint World Heritage Centre/ICCROM/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property has been programmed in mid-2023, and the mission report will be available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1055/documents/.