{"id":34989,"date":"2014-07-28T10:29:45","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T10:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=34989"},"modified":"2014-07-28T10:29:45","modified_gmt":"2014-07-28T10:29:45","slug":"al-qaeda-linked-attacks-crush-kenyas-coastal-tourism-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/07\/al-qaeda-linked-attacks-crush-kenyas-coastal-tourism-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Al-Qaeda-linked attacks crush Kenya\u2019s coastal tourism industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Robert Mutuku hangs \u201cOut of\u00a0Africa<\/a>\u201d T-shirts in his craft shop in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, he worries that the scarcity of tourists because of Islamist-militant attacks may doom his chances of keeping his five children in school.<\/p>\n

Mutuku, 47, has had to fire three people who made souvenirs at his workshop for the tourists who once crowded the alleys of the city\u2019s Old Town to savor its spice aromas and admire its Portuguese and Islamic architecture. Now Mutuku is certain he won\u2019t be able to fulfill the dream of his eldest daughter, Catherine Ndinya, 21, to attend college.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have spent three days without selling anything,\u201d Mutuku said in a July 25 interview. \u201cI already took a bank loan to send the others back to school this term. I don\u2019t know what I\u2019ll do next term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tourism in\u00a0Kenya<\/a>, which generated more than $1 billion in foreign-currency earnings for East Africa\u2019s biggest economy last year, is on its knees. The impact has hit hardest on the coast, where as many as 1 million Kenyans depend on the industry to make a living, according to the Kenya Coast Tourism Association. Countries including the\u00a0U.K.<\/a>,\u00a0U.S.<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Australia<\/a>\u00a0have issued travel advisories warning their citizens not to travel to large parts of the coastal region.<\/p>\n

TUI AG, the owner of Europe\u2019s biggest tour operator, on July 4 extended its cancellation of all flights to Mombasa until April 30, after announcing in May that travel would be halted until October. Tourism is Kenya\u2019s second-largest foreign-currency earner, after tea exports.<\/p>\n

Rising Violence<\/strong><\/p>\n

The number of incidents has been building. Unidentified gunmen shot dead a German woman and wounded her Ugandan companion last week while they were strolling in\u00a0Mombasa<\/a>. That followed the murder of a female Russian tourist in a similar attack on July 6. In the worst incident, violence claimed the lives of 60 residents of the coastal town of Mpeketoni in mid-June.<\/p>\n

The situation along the coast is so bad that hotels are registering 40 percent occupancy rates and half the usual bookings, even though July to September is the peak tourism season, Kenya Coast Tourism Association Chief Executive Officer Millicent Odhiambo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTourism is the backbone of coastal Kenya and we can\u2019t do without international visitors,\u201d she said in an interview.<\/p>\n

The port of Mombasa, the largest in East Africa, is billed as the \u201conly safari port in the world\u201d where cruise liners can dock and passengers go on safari to game lodges before returning to sail off in one day. The insecurity has led cruise liners to steer clear, leaving the two berths that port managers have dedicated to handle them idle.<\/p>\n

Cruise Ships<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a peak of 45 cruise ships a year in 2004, only three vessels called on Mombasa last year,\u201d said Bernard Osero, head of corporate affairs at the Kenya Ports Authority. \u201cThis year, only four vessels have docked here and we don\u2019t expect many in the coming months.\u201d<\/p>\n

The government, which targets annual tourist arrivals of 10 million in a decade, compared with 1.4 million in 2013, announced a 200 million-shilling ($2.3 million) campaign in May to help attract more visitors, including domestic tourists. While that initiative has had some impact, it\u2019s not enough, said Edward Andako, manager of the Medina Palms Resort at Watamu Beach, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of Mombasa.<\/p>\n

\u201cInnovative products, especially unique water sports, do attract locals, but we are forced to give huge discounts to make it affordable,\u201d said Andako, referring to sports including kite-surfing and snorkeling. \u201cThis makes it unsustainable. We need international tourists to stay in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Land Grievances<\/strong><\/p>\n

While al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked militia waging an insurgency in neighboring, has claimed responsibility for some of the attacks, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta\u2019s government says political and land grievances motivated some of them. Police are investigating Issa Timamy, the governor of Lamu county, in connection with some of the raids, for which he denies any involvement.<\/p>\n

Police suspect gangs recruited and trained by al-Shabaab for the attacks in and around Mombasa, Police Commandant Robert Kitur told reporters in the city on July 25. A gun recovered last week from a suspect in an attack on Likoni, on the outskirts of Mombasa, is being analyzed for leads connecting it to several other attacks, he said.<\/p>\n

This month, Kenyan security forces were deployed in Boni Forest, which borders Somalia, to hunt for those responsible for the raids on Mpeketoni and other villages.<\/p>\n

Restoring Security<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the combined efforts of all of Kenya\u2019s security agencies, we are chasing the gangs right in the forests where they hide,\u201d Lamu county Commissioner Njenga Miiri said in an interview on July 25. \u201cI am confident that peace will be restored soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

After 28 years selling artifacts, Mutuku says he can no longer wait for security to improve and is seeking other opportunities like trading cereals to help him survive. Odhiambo says residents need the insecurity situation resolved urgently.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow will these people survive without work?,\u201d she asked. \u201cThey have children to feed and educate. It is a really bad situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: Bloomberg<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Robert Mutuku hangs \u201cOut of\u00a0Africa\u201d T-shirts in his craft shop in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, he worries that the scarcity of tourists because of Islamist-militant attacks may doom his chances of keeping his five children in school. Mutuku, 47, has had to fire three people who made souvenirs at his workshop for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":35002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[14],"yoast_head":"\nAl-Qaeda-linked attacks crush Kenya\u2019s coastal tourism industry - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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