Governor Timamy takes to festivals to market Lamu

Governors Isa Timamy (Left) and Nadhiff Jamah of Garissa arrive for the 16th Edition of the Annual Lamu Cultural festivals organized by the Lamu County Government. PHOTO: MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD

The county is turning to all-year-round festivals and carnivals to develop the historic island as an attractive tourist destination.

According to Governor Issa Timamy, the island is known for its many festivals and his administration is keen to increase the inflow of visitors and enhance trade.

The yearly festivals offer visitors a wonderful opportunity to experience the island's unspoiled beaches and medieval ambience.

"Lamu's old town is a unique and rare historical living heritage with more than 700 years of continuous settlement and was declared a world heritage site in 2001 by Unesco," the governor said.

The county is using the tag line 'the island of festivals' to turn the idyllic archipelago into a tourist haven for domestic and foreign visitors.

The county is known for its many tourism festivals including the popular Lamu annual cultural festival which showcases the culture and lifestyle of the Swahili people in the county.

Another unique festival is Maulid, an annual religious event held to celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohamed, which has been held in the archipelago since 1866 when the great Riyadha mosque was built in Lamu Island.

 Other annual festivities include food expo, art festival, Yoga festival, fishing competitions and Eid fete.