Naivasha steals the shine from the Coast

Hard hit by increasing levels of crime and associated negative publicity several years ago, Naivasha town is fast becoming a destination of choice for domestic tourists.

Interestingly, as the negative coverage persisted it was the place for warring factions to take a retreat to iron out their differences. The most famous being the Sudanese peace talks and recently, the impasse on the then proposed new constitution.

The town has over the past six months recorded an increase in the number of holiday makers from across the country billing it as an alternative to traditional sand and beach retreat at the Kenyan Coast.

During the December holidays it is estimated that about 30,000 domestic tourists came calling. More numbers are expected during Easter holidays as marketing of the town begins in earnest.

“We have incorporated Naivasha into our aggressive domestic tourism campaign and it is paying off well. We intend to intensify this marketing programme in the days to come,” says Mr Muriithi Ndegwa, managing director of Kenya Tourist Board.

The board hopes to achieve a 50 per cent business margin from within Kenya and across the East African Community by 2012.

Local tourism is styled along school holidays that fall in April, August and December. It is during these months that most Kenyans take a break to tour different places.

The coastal towns of Mombasa and Malindi which have for long been a favourite for locals - with the former dominating the plans - are slowly taking a back seat.

Other areas like Maasai Mara, Samburu and Amboseli are too a favourite but appeal more to those with higher levels of disposable income.

“Mombasa should watch out for Naivasha. We have put in place measures to make this town a destination of choice for Kenyans. We are working closely with local players to improve on our offerings to tourist,” said Mr John Mututho, area MP.

Among planned developments to boost the status of the town is the creation of sand beaches around lake Naivasha. The project includes scooping mud from the 18 beaches around the lake and replacing it with sand.

Geographically, Naivasha is best described as a market town but has since outgrown the description. Located near Lake Naivasha, the town has Hell’s Gate National Park, Longonot National Park and Mount Longonot among other attractions.

Birdlife and hippopotamus behaviour, as well as other wild animals are some of the attractions that tourists can count on while visiting the area.

In the last seven years, Naivasha has witnessed increased setting up of hotels and lodges sprucing up its standing on the country’s tourism map.

“We have few but quality hotels, which are spacious and private with healthy competition. Unlike in Mombasa which is congested with hotels, in some cases only a fence separating one hotel from the other,” says Mr Alfred Kaire, a marketing manager at Sopa Lodges which operates a resort in Naivasha.

While the town is fast becoming a hit with domestic tourists, insecurity still remains deep in its history. Media reports have in the past painted the town ghostly due to the levels of crime.

Mr Mututho says that this situation must be contained. To achieve this, there is a collective effort between investors and government agencies in the area.

“We instituted a community policing programme and the number of incidents especially rape have gone down. We are committed to improve the security situation to attract more investors and tourists,” says Mr Mututho.