Monday, January 2, 2012

Parties and dance light up Kenya in New Year’s cheer



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By Nation Team newsdesk@ke.natonmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, January 1  2012 at  22:00
IN SUMMARY
  • Despite the high prices of basic food and petrol, thousands of families throng Mombasa beaches to welcome 2012
It was as if all roads were leading to the Coast, where thousands of people thronged the Nyali Beach in Mombasa on Saturday night to usher in the New Year by partying all night long.
Security was beefed up at the Nyali International Beach Hotel, with security personnel patrolling the entire beach area.
The beach party, organised by EASY FM, featured the country’s renown artists Jaguar, Nameless, Size 8, Ally B, Sauti Sol, and DJ Bunduki. EASY FM’s Richard Kwach lead the team of presenters.
The artists thrilled fans, who danced the night away after the show started on a low note due to power outages. The problem was fixed by 1am.
An estimated 5,000 people thronged the beach.
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“This is the best party I have ever attended and I do not regret travelling from Nairobi for the event,” said Kevin Ondiek, an IT specialist who said he had flown to the Coast specifically for the party.
“Four of us drove from Nairobi and by 6pm we were here ready to hit the beach,” said another reveller.
The usual fireworks to usher in the New Year were missing after police banned them sue to security concerns over Kenya’s fight against the Al Shabaab militia.
In the South Coast, the ban on fireworks during the New Year celebrations dampened the mood in most hotels which were left releasing balloons into the sky to signify the beginning of 2012.
At the Indian Ocean Beach Resort, about 500 guests were treated to a special oriental cuisine and entertainments along the sand-kissed beach front to usher in the New Year which later exploded into ululation and cries of joy as the last seconds of 2011 died from the ticking clock.
“Most hotels had invested in fireworks but the government ban came as a rude shock that deflated our spirits to the core,” the hotel general manager Gomeri Kombo said.
However, he supported the government move saying it was better to secure the lives of people rather than to precipitate a scenario that could be used to harm them.
According to the manager, the oriental theme was meant to show support for the unexploited Far East tourism markets that could be a boon for the country if pursued rigorously.
The whole South Coast pristine beach line was littered with humanity both international and local while out time for the big moment that was greeted in pomp and colour, song and dance.
Diani Nakumatt remained open up to mid-night to serve the ever-streaming clientele making last minutes shopping before the New Year hit the clock.
At 7pm a police helicopter with its searchlight on scanned the beach front as hundreds of visitors and hosts welcomed its surveillance with knowing smiles, shouts and thumps up signs.
Economic hardships
Despite economic hardships, Kenyans all over the country ushered in the New Year in style by visiting various recreational areas over the weekend.
In Nakuru residents spent the festive season visiting friends and relatives while others jammed entertainment spots and Lake Nakuru National Park for game drive.
The park had recorded booming business since Christmas, and the management provided transport from Nakuru town at subsidized rate of Sh550 for adults and Sh300 for children.
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The park which is synonymous with the flamingoes, has of late registered a decline in numbers of the pink birds from 5,000 to an average of 2,000.
Mr John Wambua, the senior warden at the park attributed the trend to migration where a huge population had moved to Lake Bogoria due to decrease in lake’s salinity. The birds feed on algae species.
“We have only 2,000 flamingo birds since most of them migrated to Lake Bogoria where there is a lot of their food. The pelicans are however in plenty and they total to over 5000 birds” he stated.
Latest tourists population during this peak season stands at an average of 500 persons per day.
During the festive season, all the three gates linking the 188 kilometre square park remained busy, with 12 KWS customer care personnel on stand-by to control the swelling tourist numbers.
A spot check revealed that parents used Sunday for back to school shopping while on Sunday, they took their time out at various entertainment places to usher in New Year.
At Kivu Retreat Miss Stella Karanja, a director said they had recorded impressive business as local and foreign tourists sampled various foods offered by the hotel.
“We offer holiday camps, accommodation, team building retreat, swimming pool, children park, and adventure tour to local tourist attraction,” said Miss Karanja.
Like other players in the industry, Kivu Retreat which is located at the periphery of Lake Nakuru National Park made a booming business during the Christmas season.
Apart from targeting foreign tourists, the hotelier says they have also provided for subsidised rates for local tourists and provided recreational facilities.
“We also include activities for children, accommodation, camping, conferencing and team building events for our wide range of clients."
Industry players have indicated that the sector was improving after the initial insecurity threat posed by Al Shabaab militias.
According to the marketing director of Lake Nakuru Lodge, Mr Joseph Muya, numbers of non-resident tourists had gone down in the last few months following the threats.
The threats Mr Muya said had discouraged several foreign tourists from visiting Kenya.
The Christmas period is always the peak season for bed occupancy, and hoteliers are hoping that they will get more business from the more than 500,000 holiday makers who annually visit the western circuit.

He said Lake Nakuru Lodge currently hosts about 90 to 100 visitors, down from over 200 last year.
“However, for the bigger players in the area are suffering following travel advisory issued by their countries against visiting Kenya as a result of the Al-Shabaab threat. Foreign tourism declined by about 44 per cent,” Mr Muya stated.
Most hoteliers are however optimistic that the numbers will pick up as soon as Al-Shabaab is snuffed out.
By Gitonga Marete, Mwakera Mwajefa, Simon Siele and Elizabeth Wanjiru

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