Kenya Balances Creative Hub and Rail Ambitions in Mombasa

By Diana Wanyonyi

Mombasa, Kenya — The Kenyan government is attempting to reassure artists that they will not be displaced from a historic cultural space in Mombasa, even as it advances plans to establish a railway training institute on the same site.

The future of the Little Theatre Club (LTC), a vital arts venue, has been in question since the government proposed using the land—owned by the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC)—for the new institute. Following mounting concerns from the coastal creative community, officials have now agreed to form a joint committee to seek a compromise.

Speaking outside the LTC, Principal Secretary for Transport Mohamed Daghar announced that a nine-member committee, comprising representatives from Kenya Railways, creative youth groups, and local MPs, would be established. This committee will explore how both the arts programs and the railway institute can coexist.

“The creative economy is a key pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, a plan we follow up very keenly and take very seriously,” Daghar said, referring to President William Ruto’s flagship economic plan. “We are here to partner with our youth and ensure they continue doing what they do best.”

The push for the Railway Training Institute came from Mombasa County leaders, who see it as a way to build local technical capacity in rail transport and maintenance, reduce reliance on foreign expertise, and create job opportunities. Daghar stated the institute would serve trainees from Kenya and across East Africa.

However, cultural groups argue the Little Theatre Club holds deep historical and artistic significance for the coast, a region they say has long been sidelined in national cultural funding. It is the area’s only dedicated performing arts venue, playing a vital role in nurturing talent.

Daudi Anguka, chairman of the LTC taskforce and a local film producer, expressed the community’s apprehension. “Little Theatre is a club, and we are not ready for a TVET institute,” he said. “We want to know why it must be built here. The creative economy should be prioritized.”

While the government insists no artists will be evicted, activists state that the outcome hinges on whether the committee can deliver binding guarantees to protect the cultural space alongside infrastructure development.

For now, the government’s stated position is that technical training and cultural production must move forward together. “We want to build capacity for our railways,” Daghar said, “but we also want our creative youth to grow to an even higher level.”