Art lovers, creatives, and heritage advocates have intensified calls to save the Little Theatre Club (LTC) in Mombasa from closure amid plans to convert the historic venue into a technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centre.
Founded in 1948 by demobilised Second World War veterans, the Little Theatre Club is a gazetted national monument and the oldest performing arts centre on the Kenyan Coast. For more than seven decades, it has served as a home for theatre, music, community workshops, and artistic innovation, hosting both local and international productions.
The proposed conversion has sparked widespread concern among artists and cultural stakeholders, who argue that while vocational training is important, it should not come at the cost of erasing a vital piece of Kenya’s cultural history.
A public petition urging authorities to halt the plans and protect the theatre is gaining traction online. The petition describes the venue as far more than a physical structure, stating in part:
The Little Theatre Club is not just a building; it is a symbol of Mombasa’s rich cultural heritage. It has been a hub of creativity where individuals have honed their skills and where audiences have gathered to be inspired, laugh, and experience the arts. The conversion into a TVET centre may serve a practical purpose, but it disregards the irreplaceable value that the theatre embodies for so many.
Campaigners say the loss of the Little Theatre Club would deal a heavy blow to the Coast’s creative ecosystem and undermine decades of artistic development, mentorship, and cultural exchange.
Supporters of the campaign are calling on the national and county governments, as well as relevant cultural institutions, to intervene and find an alternative solution that preserves the theatre while addressing education needs elsewhere.
Members of the public who wish to support the cause can sign the petition.
Advocates insist that development and heritage preservation must go hand in hand, warning that once the curtains fall on the Little Theatre Club, an irreplaceable chapter of Mombasa’s cultural story may be lost forever.
