Lamu,KENYA:Lamu town is flooding with tourists thanks to the Easter celebrations that kick off Friday.
The tourists are both domestic and international.
The county CEC for Tourism Dismas Mwasambu says hotels and guest houses have recorded a 20% increase in bookings as opposed to previous years.
Mwasambu says most local tourists are from Nairobi,Mombasa,Kilifi,Watamu and Malindi.
He however said the international bookings were minimal,a situation greatly attributed to the security situation in the region.
Mwasambu however thanked the national government for the effort made in ensuring Lamu is safe but insisted on increased patrols in the entire county during the Easter Celebration.
“We are set for the Easter Holiday. Guests, mostly domestic have arrived while others are on the way. This year’s Easter Holiday has shown positive signs in as far as tourism response is concerned. We have already recorded 20 per cent improvement in the number of tourists coming to Lamu for the holiday compared to normal days,” said Mwasambu.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up across Lamu County as visitors continue to join the rest of the world to mark the Easter celebrations.
Lamu County Police Commander Muchangi Kioi said security officers both uniformed and plain clothes have been deployed on Lamu Island, Shella, Manda and the border areas of Lamu and Somalia to help secure the county ahead of the Easter holiday.
The commander said police patrols have also been increased especially along the Lamu-Garsen route where many guests are using to travel to Lamu.
He also promised a 24-hour security system in all locations and public places where guests will spend their Easter.
“I want to assure both the locals and tourists of adequate security measures before, during and even after the Easter celebrations. We have enough police officers who have already been posted all over the count, on our roads and the far places of Kiunga and Ishakani border of Lamu and Somalia to ensure the Easter period progress smoothly and peacefully. There is no cause for alarm,” said Kioi.
He asked locals to remain vigilant and report to security officers of any suspicious individuals
The county security boss also appealed to the public to ensure they cooperate with the security apparatus in ensuring peace prevails in the entire Lamu
