The government has promised to support the owners of Baracuda hotel, Mbuyu lodge and Mapango in Watamu, Kilifi County, whose establishments were razed down by fire last Wednesday to rebuild their hotels as fast as possible.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Peninnah Malonza assured the owners that the government would work with the hoteliers’ association and insurance companies to revive the business.
Speaking during an extensive tour of the hotels that were gutted down by the fierce inferno where the tourists were injured, the CS noted that her ministry would provide funding to beach operators whose businesses of selling curios and other items were affected by the fire incident with a view to re-establishing them.
Further, she noted that there was a need for the establishments to be rebuilt so that hundreds of workers who depend on the hotel industry do not lose employment.
She assured the hotel owners that the government will cooperate with insurance companies working towards compensating the hoteliers for the losses to ensure they resume business.
“There are those women who were selling their wares outside the hotels whose stalls also got burnt. Those women are not in associations and I will start with them to ensure I leave something for them to start rebuilding their stalls immediately,” she said.
Additionally, she said the fire incident had also affected the beach operators who depended on tourists from the hotels to buy their goods and services, adding that those too must be assisted.
Moreover, she vowed to collaborate with the County Government of Kilifi to ensure at least one fire engine is stationed in Watamu to respond to fire incidents.
On his part, Kilifi North Member of Parliament Mr Owen Baya urged Watamu residents, especially those working on the beaches, to protect the tourism sector by ensuring high standards of discipline, saying failure to do so would scare away tourists from the area.
He also lamented that during the fire incidents, some of the rescuers looted from the tourists, something that he said had angered the main tour company taking tourists to Watamu.
“I have received a letter from the tour company complaining that its clients’ items were looted by would be rescuers. The company has threatened to pull out of this area and you know the implication of this because Watamu is entirely dependent on tourism,” he said.
The legislator pointed out that Watamu was the only area in the North Coast with tourists and it would be foolish to scare them away.
The proprietor of Baracuda Hotel, Mr Buonasera Guiseppe said he had initiated talks with his insurance company and that the hotel, which was completely brought down by the fire, would be rebuilt within the next 100 days.
