Mombasa: The Coast tourism and hospitality sector is grappling with a growing invasion of the Indian house crow, a species blamed for disrupting food chains, damaging property, and threatening public health along the Coast.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Sam Ikwaye, Chairman of the Mombasa Tourism Council and CEO of the Association of Hotel Owners and Service Providers, said the bird, known locally as kunguru, was introduced to the Kenyan coast from India through Zanzibar around 1891, arriving aboard ships docking at the port. The species has since multiplied into the millions along the coastline, driven largely by urban development, poor solid waste management, and easy access to food at markets, fish landing sites, and hotels.
Dr. Ikwaye explained that the crows have become a nuisance to the tourism, agriculture, and fishing sectors, scavenging freely at open-air food markets, hotel kitchens, and fish landing sites. They have been documented preying on poultry, crops, and even small livestock in farming areas. He noted that the bird’s diet spans nearly every level of the food chain, from scavenged waste to smaller animals, highlighting its adaptability and impact on the environment.
The birds have adapted their behavior around human activity, timing their movements to coincide with waste collection schedules by county governments and the arrival of fishing boats, then retreating to roosting sites in the evening. To address this issue, hotels and tourism stakeholders in Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, and other coastal counties have partnered with conservation groups including Nature Kenya and A Rocha Kenya, working alongside the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), to run a coordinated control campaign.
Dr. Ikwaye emphasized that the campaign is overseen by the KWS, which is responsible for the control of wild animals. The campaign uses a KWS-approved poison known as Starlicide, administered through a scientific ‘conditioning’ process in which crows are fed meat at fixed times and locations over several days to build trust before the treated bait is introduced. This method ensures the poison targets only crows and avoids the secondary environmental harm caused by an earlier chemical, Fenthion, which had significant environmental effects due to its secondary impacts.
Mapping and population monitoring are supported by researchers and student volunteers from A Rocha Kenya to track roosting and feeding patterns before any control exercise begins. Dr. Ikwaye called for stronger collaboration between the tourism sector, county governments, and conservation agencies on solid waste management, as uncollected garbage remains one of the biggest drivers of the crow population explosion along the coast.
