Kilifi: The government on Friday directed holidaymakers to stay away from public beaches in Kilifi County after 6 pm until the end of the year, in a bid to curb insecurity and drowning incidents that often occur during festive seasons in coastal towns. Speaking at Gede Comprehensive School in Malindi Sub-County during Jamhuri Day celebrations, Kilifi County Commissioner David Wanyonyi warned that tidal waves become stronger and more unpredictable at night, posing serious risks to beachgoers.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mr. Wanyonyi stated, “From today until the end of the festive season, no one will be allowed on the beaches after 6 pm because tidal waves tend to be more boisterous from that time,” after reading the presidential speech. He added that closing the beaches early will also help protect residents from insecurity that often occurs due to the large crowds.
The administrator also declared war on narcotic drugs and illicit alcoholic brews and directed chiefs and their assistants to crack down on these issues, saying those found complicit in the vices would face disciplinary action. He urged leaders at both national and county levels to collaborate to address teenage pregnancies, noting reports that some teenage candidates had been forced to sit their national examinations in maternity wards.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro called on the national government to expedite infrastructure projects such as the dualling of the Mombasa-Malindi highway and the expansion of the Malindi Airport to attract more tourists to the county. This aligns with this year’s Jamhuri Day theme, focusing on Tourism, Wildlife, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions).
Last year, Kilifi welcomed over 500,000 local and international tourists, a number exceeding the population of Malindi and Kilifi towns, marking a 15 percent increase from the previous year. The county is emerging as a hub for conference tourism with the commissioning of the Kilifi Convention Centre and a new conference centre at a popular hotel in Kikambala. Forty percent of visitors came for conferences such as the Essence of Africa Tourism Conference and the Uganda-Kenya Coast Tourism Conference and Exhibition held in Malindi.
