She built a bush camp in Tana River County

By Jeckonia Otieno

Despite not having proper formal education, Lucy Tofani owns the first ever-camping site in Kipini, Tana River County, which she has kept running since 1972.

"By current standards I must say I did not go to school because I only got to Standard Five and dropped out but that has not stopped me from putting all my energy here and ensuring that it is a success," she confesses.

Lucy Tofani

Lucy says she started the Redcliffs Campsite with her husband way back in 1972 when the much of Kipini was still bushy and nobody would imagine setting up anything worthwhile.

"Back then it was not what you see here today. The whole place was bushy but we thought it was a good venture," she says.

Feel of the wild

She says they had wanted people to get a real feel of the wild, which they never really get to experience within towns. And since then, she has strived to keep the place as original as when it started.

"This place has strived to maintain the wild feeling despite the population explosion that has led to increased settlement," she states.

Moreover, her camp sits on a cliff, giving visitors a good view of the Indian Ocean. This is another reason why Lucy keeps the campsite as natural as possible.

Initially, Lucy and her husband would source for clients from Mombasa and Malindi. She recounts how she had to walk into the hotels and personally talk to clients to visit the camping site.

At the time, they would get a visitor or two, which was disheartening. But she did not give up because she had a dream that the place would one day become a great spot for tourism. She now notes that her persistence and patience paid off in a big way.

Apart from camping, Redcliffs Campsite gives tourists the opportunity to go hunting or just enjoy the view of the ocean from atop the cliff.

Alternatively visitors can go fishing or sailing either in the Indian Ocean or in River Tana. At these vantage points, one can watch dolphins in the ocean or crocodiles in the river.

Challenges

Although the business if flourishing now, she still has a number of challenges to contend with. The first is the poor road network in the area, which makes it difficult for tourists to access the site. And the campsite is also so bushy, she is sometimes hard-pressed to convince clients that their lives will not be at risk at any point.

When it started, the camp could only accommodate six tourists.

"Our maximum capacity was six. The number was limited because we would hire tents from Nairobi. But even then, with time, our bookings started growing in leaps and we had to cap it at 12 campers."

And then, just when business was picking up in the 1980’s, Lucy lost her husband in a plane crash. This meant that Lucy now had sole stewardship of the fledging business.

But that was not the end of her tribulations. In 2009, another tragedy struck. Arsonists burnt down the camp and all the tents due to land problems that are incessant in this area. This means that Lucy had to start afresh from ground zero and build the place again.

To cap it all off, tycoons have been trying to grab her land. This is because land in the Tana River is a big problem. But she promises never to give up hope.

"Barons are trying to get hold of this property but we hope the law protects women who own property," she points out.

Her optimism is her strength, she says. Today the site has three big tents and three small ones. The big ones are permanent while the small ones are movable. Lucy is planning to expand even further by setting up more branches of the site along the coast and even beyond. She is also planning on acquiring more tents so that the camp can accommodate more people.

Lucy has a very piece of advice for everyone intending to start a business.

"Everybody has a God-given talent which is not necessarily gotten in school. I urge ladies to discover this talent and make the maximum out of it. In whatever you do, do not offer less than your best; this is the principle that has guided me over the years and if followed strictly, it leads to success."