Coast police assure tourists of a safe Easter

Kenyans arrive in Mombasa on April 18, 2019 for Easter celebrations. Police have increased patrols. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kenya Coast Working Groups chairman Hasnain Noorani said hotels are enjoying 90 per cent bookings.
  • The clerics said that on Good Friday, Catholics are expected to attend the Way of the Cross as a reminder of how Christ died.

Security has been beefed up in the coastal region for the Easter holiday, which begins Friday, as religious leaders call for calm.

Regional police boss Marcus Ochola on Thursday said police officers had been deployed across the region to ensure local and international tourists are safe during their stay.

Police will intensify their patrols at the beaches, which thousands of visitors are expected to visit. The beaches include Jomo Kenyatta, Mombasa, Nyali, Shelly and Diani.

“We have received quite a number of tourists, and we have made arrangements to ensure that they enjoy their stay without any interferences. I know their destinations are at the beaches and the hotels, and adequate measures have been put in place,” Mr Ochola said.

ROAD SAFETY

Kenya Coast Working Groups chairman Hasnain Noorani said hotels are enjoying 90 per cent bookings.

Officers from the GSU, regular and tourist police units as well as those from the KWS and the Kenya Maritime Authority have combined efforts to secure Moi International airport, the SGR station and the Likoni channel.

The regional police boss said focus has also been put in the insecurity-prone areas of Lamu and Tana River counties.

He spoke after a two-hour meeting with police commanders in Mombasa County.

Meanwhile, during a press briefing at Holy Ghost Cathedral, Mombasa Catholic Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde urged Kenyans to maintain peace during their celebrations and asked motorists to drive carefully to avoid accidents.

CORRUPTION

He urged Kenyans to have a prayerful and reflective Easter, to sit back and meditate about the welfare of the country.

Catholic clerics in Kwale, Taita-Taveta, Mombasa and Kilifi counties on Thursday started off the holy week by blessing oils to be used by priests throughout the year.

The clerics said that on Good Friday, Catholics are expected to attend the Way of the Cross as a reminder of how Christ died.

“This is a reminder of the crosses we also carry in our lives as a country. Our biggest cross is the drought that is ravaging our country. We are praying for the rains so that hunger and thirst may come to an end and crops to grow. Also, corruption is another ‘dragon’ that should go down,” the archbishop said.