Staff at Pinewood Beach Resort and Spa in Diani, Kwale County, are living in fear following an assault by armed individuals that left several colleagues injured. According to the hotel management, this is the second such incident, posing a significant threat to the business, which is currently accommodating numerous tourists from around the world.
The November 17 attack didn't spare guests, some of whom experienced losses of undisclosed value.
The local police had to resort to firing shots in the air to quell the situation, resulting in numerous injuries.
In a Sunday statement, Alnoor Kanji, the owner and Managing Director of the hotel, accused a receiver manager from Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) of orchestrating the violent attack.
“We are grateful that none was killed,” he said of the November 17 attack that forced police to fire in the air, to restore peace and order.
“Without the protection of armed police and the courage of our staff, this may not have been the case. Tourist police had to intervene with gunfire while our staff were forced to fight the attackers head on.”
The hotel finds itself entangled in a legal dispute, with KCB attempting to assume control of its management. However, a High Court in Mombasa has issued a restraining order, preventing KCB from taking over until a case challenging its intended action is heard and decided.
Justice Peter Mulwa of the High Court in Mombasa has scheduled January 9, 2024, as the mention date for the case.
“We fear that despite attaining a clear court injunction to prevent any party from taking over, they will continue to unlawfully to forcefully gain possession,” he said.
Deborah Cartwright, a tourist hailing from the United Kingdom and working as a nurse practitioner, extended assistance to injured staff in the aftermath of the recent attack.
“I attended to a security guard who had a deep right sided head wound,” she said.
