Resort owners, police caught off guard as attacks target Coast

The new wave of attacks and abductions by Somali insurgents targeting tourists in Lamu has caught resort owners and police off guard.

A few months ago, crimes of this magnitude were unheard of, a feature that endeared the culture-rich archipelago to a special class of tourists, who enjoyed their holidays in the area without having to look over their shoulders.

Hotel owners ran their businesses without putting in place sophisticated security arrangements because thefts or muggings were foreign words in the archipelago — a conglomeration of Pate, Manda, Lamu, Kiwayu and Manda Toto islands.

Even as the turmoil induced by the terror group rages in Somalia — which shares both sea and land boundaries with Lamu — the area has largely remained unscathed, with the residents going about their businesses peacefully.

Makuti-thatched structures

Security is of least concern at many resorts patronised by a good number of investors and tourists save for a handful of premises owned by high- profile personalities.

Simple makuti (sisal)-thatched structures built to allow in as much sea breeze as possible are common in the area.

Wooden or metallic doors are not preferred. Instead, the entrance is shielded by raffia, a fibre that hangs from the upper part of the door frame to offer some modicum of privacy.

The compounds have no perimeter fences worth writing home about. They are merely wooden poles stuck into the ground several metres apart and linked by small twigs and mangrove.

Power is sourced from solar panels or small generators, which lack adequate capacity to support electric wire fencing.

The structures are built almost right up to the beach, making the resorts the easiest to access from the sea.

Besides, these places are not protected by armed guards or policemen, making them vulnerable to raids from the seaside.

Lamu has remained a popular destination for potential investors and tourists.

Apart from many prominent Kenyans who own property in Lamu, there are well-known international personalities who possess property in the area. They include Prince Ernst of Hanover and Princess Catherine of Monaco.

The two attacks in Kiwayu and Ras Kitau within a span of three weeks have now shattered the sense of peace in the area.

They have exposed the area’s soft underbelly, sending shock waves through the government largely because of what they portend for the tourism industry, one of the country’s top revenue earners.

The incidents have triggered a blame game between owners of the lodges and resorts on one hand and police on the other over who should be doing what to prevent the attacks.

Precautionary measures

While the property owners pointed an accusing finger at the police for inaction, the security agents said that the investors should also take precautionary measures and collaborate fully with officers.

During the attack at the remote Kiwayu area on the night of September 10, Mr David Tebbutt, a British, was killed and his wife Judith abducted. (READ: British detectives to help in probe of tourist killing)

Her whereabouts remain unknown to date, even as the abductors remain silent, without demanding a ransom as was expected.

The attackers were at it again early Saturday morning with an attack at Ras Kitau, nearer to Lamu town, during which they abducted wheelchair-bound French woman Marie Dedieu. (READ: Kenya bungles rescue mission for kidnapped French woman)

The raid came just two days after Ms Dedieu and her Kenyan partner, Mr John Lepapa Ole Moiyio, arrived from Paris.

And the presence of the Kenya Navy base at Magogoni on the Lamu mainland, backed by the US marine, has not even deterred the gangs, who launch their attacks using speed boats and vanish in the direction of Somalia before the Kenyan security forces can intercept them.

Residents and observers say with the turmoil in Somalia and piracy thriving off the coast of this country, it was a matter of time before this state of affairs manifested locally.

A Lamu resident and politician, Mr Hassan Albeity, said the type of tourists who visited Lamu were attracted by the peace that has prevailed in the area for long.

This explains why most resorts, especially in secluded areas such as Kiwayu, Manda and Ras Kitau did not have to bother about advanced security arrangements as is the case in other parts of Kenya and the world.

During the day, the tourists would be seen relaxing on the beaches without any fear of being harassed by beach boys or gangsters.

Ras Kitau, which is endowed with pristine beaches, is more vulnerable because it is bordered by the expansive Takwa Ruins, a settlement that was abandoned several centuries ago.

Reported by Galgalo Bocha, Mark Agutu and Mazera Ndurya