Mombasa: The Project Management Institute (PMI) Kenya Chapter has launched its Coast branch in Mombasa, in a move set to give project managers, government officials, and business leaders across the region a stronger platform to fight wastage in public projects and improve service delivery.
According to Kenya News Agency, the launch, held at Wild Waters Park in Nyali under the theme: Growing Together, Extending PMI Kenya’s Reach – One Branch at a Time, brought together professionals from the health, infrastructure, telecommunications, and finance sectors, alongside county government representatives and academia.
PMI Kenya Chapter Board President Maureen Mbithi Ochang explained that the Coast was chosen for the pilot branch because of the scale of ongoing public development projects in the region and the need to bring more professionals into organized, ethical project delivery. Ochang highlighted findings from auditors’ reports showing the country loses about Sh600 billion annually through poorly executed or abandoned projects, warning that every uncompleted hospital or road has direct consequences on citizens’ wellbeing.
Ochang emphasized the importance of partnership with local stakeholders, stating, ‘It’s not to say that we haven’t had project managers in Mombasa. But the work at hand now is to ensure that we include everyone, that we bring everyone together, and that we partner with as many relevant stakeholders as we can in the coastal region.’ She urged professionals to take integrity and professionalism seriously, linking weak integrity among professionals to failures such as building collapses and institutional fraud.
The newly established Coast Branch is expected to offer training, certification, and networking opportunities for project management professionals across the six coastal counties. Organizers believe this initiative will help curb wasted public resources and strengthen the delivery of projects that directly benefit residents.
Kilifi County Chief Officer for Tourism Promotion, Culture, and Heritage Herbert Tawa Mwachiro welcomed the initiative, noting that counties are the main drivers of development at the Coast and require staff trained in project management. He credited Kilifi’s achievement as the top region in development expenditure to projects under Governor Gideon Maitha Mung’aro’s administration that prioritize services impacting residents’ livelihoods directly.
Mwachiro stated that the branch’s rollout would extend from Kilifi to Mombasa, Kwale, Tana River, Lamu, and Taita Taveta counties, positioning the Coast region for structured, professionally managed development over the next two decades. He emphasized the importance of project management in meeting the needs of the people and sustaining livelihoods, asserting that the commitment would continue beyond electoral cycles.
