The Mombasa Tourism Council has launched an intensive eradication programme targeting the invasive house crow population threatening the region’s tourism industry ahead of the December peak season.
Speaking during a press briefing at Travellers Beach Hotel and Spa on Monday, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Executive Officer and Chairman of Mombasa Tourism Council, Dr Sam Ikwaye, said the initiative aims to deliver a crowd-free Christmas experience for visitors to the coastal city.
“We want a crow-free Christmas, so all visitors who come to Mombasa will have a crow-free experience. That is why we have initiated the programme in zones from Shanzu to the Bamburi stretch, Nyali, all the way to Tamarind,” Dr Ikwaye said.
He disclosed that pre-baiting has been ongoing for the past eight days in the identified zones, with poisoning set to begin this week under protocols approved by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and A Rocha Kenya.
The council has set a fundraising target of Sh10 million before the end of the year to sustain the control programme. A fundraising event has been scheduled for December 13 at Fort Jesus Gardens, bringing together stakeholders from the tourism, hospitality, leisure, transport and logistics sectors.
South Coast Residents Association Chairman, George Mokaya Swanya, reported success in the pilot eradication programme conducted in Diani on the south coast. The association raised Sh2.5 million from members and managed to eliminate 2,000 birds in the first phase and 2,400 in the second phase after a four-month baiting process.
“We are happy more residents, hotels and slaughterhouses have come on board and are willing to participate in the exercise. We have now partnered with A Rocha and received the green light on all dumping sites in Kwale County,” Swanya said.
Alphaxad Chege, representing Serena Beach Resort and Spa and President-Elect of Skal International, noted that the invasive species has displaced indigenous bird populations that once made the coast a premier bird-watching destination.
“In the 2000s, most of our hotels and resorts used to do guided bird watches because we had over 200 indigenous species of birds. However, these birds have since been driven out of their natural habitat because the house crow colonised and took over,” Chege said.
He added that the crows have become a significant nuisance, preventing guests from comfortably enjoying outdoor meals at beachfront establishments. Pre-baiting is currently underway at Serena Beach Resort, Tamarind, Mombasa Beach Hotel and Voyager Beach Resort, with hotels providing baiting materials as part of their contribution.
Eric Kinoti Kiambi, Coordinator of the Crows No More Project under A Rocha Kenya, explained that the house crow was accidentally introduced through shipping routes and has become a serious threat to local biodiversity, public health and the tourism economy.
The programme employs Starlicide, an internationally recognised control agent known as DRC 1339, which poses no secondary poisoning risk. The substance is metabolised by the bird’s body within 10 to 15 hours and breaks down rapidly when exposed to sunlight and high temperatures.
Kinoti revealed that the eradication programme on the north coast has eliminated 94,288 house crows as of early December 2025. Initial counts in Malindi, Kilifi and Watamu recorded 33,000, 19,000 and 12,000 birds, respectively. A recent count in Watamu in November 2025 showed the population had declined to 2,227 birds.
Currently, house crow population along the coast is estimated at around 800,000 individuals. Kinoti said the programme has slightly over three kilograms of poison under the custody of KWS and A Rocha Kenya, sufficient to address the current population if deployed promptly within the one-year efficacy window.
The initiative is led by a multi-sectoral Oversight and Planning Committee comprising the KWS, National Museums of Kenya, County Government of Mombasa, hotel and tourism industry representatives, conservation organisations, and environmental experts.
House crow, scientifically known as Corvus splendens, originates from the Indian subcontinent and is recognised as one of the world’s most invasive bird species. It thrives in human settlements, breeds rapidly with up to four to five chicks per pair per season, and forms large communal roosts.
The species poses public health risks by contaminating food environments in hotels, restaurants, fish markets and beaches. It spreads pathogens through contact with waste and has been linked to increased bacterial contamination risks in open-air eateries.
Environmental experts say the crow’s aggressive behavior and predation on eggs and chicks of indigenous birds has led to significant biodiversity loss. The birds also increase maintenance costs for hotels through droppings and waste scattered around properties.
Kinoti acknowledged support from the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, Nature Kenya, business owners and the hospitality sector since the programme began in late 2023. He cited successful eradication efforts in countries including Djibouti and Seychelles as proof that the goal is achievable.
By Sitati Reagan
