By Correspondent
Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen is expected to lead consultative forums with security chiefs and residents of the six counties of the coastal region.
Murkomen, in a bid to tame the security scare in the region following the emergence of gangs that have been reported as attacking tourists and residents, is keen to find a lasting solution to the menace.
A communication seen by Western Insight revealed that the tours, christened “Jukwaa la Usalama County Tours”, will begin from Monday, 7th April to Saturday, 12th April 2025.
“He will assess the security situation in the Coast region.
He will also engage with leaders, regional and county security teams, National Government Administration Officers, and peace committees on strategies to enhance security, peace, and cohesion,” the communication read.
The CS who embarked on a similar tour of Baringo County a week ago is also seeking to evaluate the level of disaster preparedness in response to rising climate change-driven extreme weather conditions.
Murkomen also wants to gather feedback from the residents on their satisfaction with citizen services, and also interact with security personnel on the front lines combating land and maritime threats.
Among key government programmes he will oversee in his weeklong tour is conducting a spot check on the Mobile ID Registration rollout.
Murkomen’s visit comes just two days after tourism players have raised concerns on the deteriorating security situation in Mombasa and its environs, saying it was threatening positive prospects in the growth of the multi-million dollar industry.
The industry contributes 10 per cent to the national gross domestic product (GDP) according to recent reports from the Ministry of Tourism, thus indicating the importance of giving special security to tourists visiting the country.
The stakeholders, drawn from Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA) and Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHC), all under Kenya Tourism Federation, say insecurity in Mombasa is negatively affecting the foreign exchange earner.
KCTA chairman Victor Shitakha, responding to an incident where a tourist who had arrived aboard a cruise ship vessel was attacked and robbed of his mobile phone while on a site visit of Ivory Tusks in Mombasa on Monday, 31, 2025, said the incident painted a bad picture of the hospitality industry.
“To all our cruise ship visitors, we hope the magical experience will attract you back in the coming season. As we head to Easter we reassure our visitors that Mombasa and the wider Kenyan coast remain safe, welcoming and open for tourists,” he said.
“If there is no security, tourism will be affected, it’s true we have insecurity incidents in Mombasa, but we should see security solutions being reached. What we are asking is for them to be vigilant, because if a tourist is attacked, it’s a security problem.”
Addressing the media, KAHC executive director Sam Ikwaye demanded heightened security to avert damaging livelihoods and the country’s reputation as a safe and attractive tourist destination.
“We don’t want to welcome tourism advisories, if such incidents of insecurity happen, it threatens the sector very much, we know there are security measures put in place, but we ask for more efforts to be made, especially as we head to the Easter holiday,” he said.
The tourism sector, currently on an upward trajectory, is banking on the Easter Holiday celebrations to boost its earnings when both local and international tourists flock to the coastal region for the festivities.
“Regrettably, from January, we are witnessing a slight decrease of tourists at the coast, we believe it’s attributed to the bad economy, many tourist hotels are recording between 18-30 bookings, but we are hoping for a positive response, with continued marketing by Kenya tourism board,” Shitakha said.
But while responding to the insecurity concerns, Mombasa County Commissioner Mahmoud Noor promised to establish a new police booth at the famous Ivory Tusks site along Mombasa’s Moi Avenue, as a measure to protect tourists who flock there for photographing.
Confirming the incident of a cruise ship tourist attack and robbery at the site, the commissioner termed it as an isolated case and currently under police investigation.
“What happened is that one of the visitors from the last cruise ship was robbed of his phone.
This happens globally. I don’t know why the media is blowing it out of proportion, but that is a matter being investigated by police.”
According to him, the incident was perpetrated by street boys and not panga boys as reported in a section of the media, saying a number of them have been arrested and police are pursuing others who were involved.
“Police went and recorded statements with the victim, so that they can investigate.
Our DCI officers are investigating to ensure that the phone is recovered and returned to the owner,” he noted, adding that Kenya has received 6,500 passengers this season alone.
Flanked by acting Mombasa County police commandant Maxwell Agoro, Commissioner Noor said: “The next season will begin in September.
We will establish a police booth at the Ivory Tusks area, permanent with police officers, normally we have permanent officers, but that day there was a lapse, but now we will have visible police officers manning the place.”
