Mombasa hoteliers raise flag over beach security

MOMBASA, KENYA: Hoteliers at the Coast have raised a red flag over the country's beaches saying they remain porous and pose a danger to tourism installation in the area.
They said that the security of hotel installation along the country's beach has been left in the hands of ‘poorly equipped and unqualified private security firms’ and asked the police to increase their patrols in the area.
Last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that the Government would establish Kenya's first ever Coast guard to work with Kenya Navy in patrolling the country's waters at the Indian Ocean but the plans have not come to fruition.
Hoteliers and maritime industry experts at the Coast say that the guard will patrol Kenya's territorial waters and safeguard marine interests in its exclusive economic zone.
The Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (Kahc) Coast branch officials, through its North Coast Committee consultative meeting with officials from the British High Commission, said that there was need to invest more in securing hotels and installations on the beach frontage.
Kahc Executive officer, Mr. Sam Ikwaye said that although some hotels maintained 24 hour surveillance on the beach front, beach access roads remained security challenge for most hotels. The meeting was held in Mombasa Beach Hotel over the weekend.