Mtwapa sheds nightlife status and slowly gains industrial hub face

Khaligraph Jones performs at Yatch Club Mtwapa, Kilifi County, during the 'Unlesh Your Edge Fiesta'. [Joackim Bwana, Standard] Mtwapa town in Kilifi County, popular with nightlife and a magnet for international pensioners, is gradually gaining a new face. From an entertainment town, the traditional tourist hub that attracts local and international guests is emerging as an industrial hub at the Coast. With the ongoing dualling of the Mombasa-Malindi highway, Mtwapa is growing from what was once seen as a 'sin city' to an industrial and commercial hub. The face of a leisure and entertainment town dotted with nightclubs is fading away and slowly being replaced by other businesses. Modern-day Mtwapa boasts a new face and an urban industrial feel, attracting more banks, shopping centres and supermarket chains. There are also new blocks of apartments and warehouses that are either complete or under construction, giving the town a different shape. The town is taking an industrial face by hosting a chain of factories, warehouses and housing estates to cater for the growing demand of the increasing population. Mtwapa business park director Mohamed Rashid said the town's proximity to Mombasa Port and Moi International Airport is also an added advantage. "Mtwapa is not very far from the airport, and with the expansion of the highway, it is ideal for many businesses," said Rashid. The town hosts about 10 garment processing firms and other processors in Kanamae and a modern market built by the Kilifi County government. Apart from the expansion of the highway cutting through Mtwapa, the town roads, like the Mzambarauni and Mtwapa-Jumba Ruins, have also been upgraded. Most apartments are now served by tarmac roads. Mtwapa is located about 30 kilometres north of Mombasa and starts from the Mtwapa bridges and stretches to Vipingo towards Kilifi town. Notable manufacturing companies that have set base in Mtwapa and its environs are Revital Healthcare (EPZ) Limited, a medical supply manufacturer and export company, and Salwa and Vipingo Oils, edible oil manufacturers. Already, the Mtwapa Business Park built on 10 acres and consisting of 42 warehouses, has positioned itself as an ideal place for manufacturing, depots, value addition, showrooms, storage for small and medium enterprises. MySpace Properties chief executive officer Mwenda Thuranira hailed the growth of Mtwapa, urging investors and business people to take advantage of the location. Kenya National Highways Authority Director for Highway Designs, Safety and Environment Ezekiel Fuko said the dualling of the road, to be completed by 2024, would be a game changer for Kilifi county in terms of business and tourism. The highways whose expansion was commissioned by President William Ruto, link with other counties like Mombasa, Lamu and Tana River. Employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled labour are also on the rise. During the General Election campaigns last year, Public Service and Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa called for upgrading of Mtwapa into a metropolis to further aid its growth.

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