Jomvu MP Badi Twalib has joined tourism stakeholders in calling on the private sector in Mombasa to collaborate with the county government to lift the face of the county.
Twalib on Wednesday said Mombasa County is for all Kenyans to enjoy, especially during the festive season, and asked stakeholders to help make the county the best tourism hub.
He said the partnership between the government and private sector has lifted the face of Mombasa, which is now attracting more people from across the globe than before.
This includes the beautification of Mombasa, which has seen the Makupa Causeway and Makupa roundabout experience a makeover.
“In December, many people flock to Mombasa to unwind and enjoy themselves as the festive season gains momentum.
“You cannot enjoy yourself in a place that is not attractive. This beautification brings that attraction as the entry point of Mombasa,” the MP said.
His sentiments were echoed Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC), which said the government benefits more if it works with the private sector through the Public Private Partnership model.
“We know what the private sector has been able to do at Kibarani and Makupa. And so even as the infrastructure development is happening around Mombasa, we are hoping this can be replicated in the rest of the city,” KAHC coast region executive, Sam Ikwaye, told the Star on Wednesday.
Mombasa Cement has worked with the Mombasa county government to beautify the city, which includes rehabilitating the former Kibarani dumpsite which has been turned in Mombasa Cement Miracle Park, where thousands visit to take photos and enjoy the place.
“Beautification and upgrading of infrastructure across Mombasa as a region can best be done by the kind of partnership that we have experienced along Kibarani where the private sector was engaged proactively and was able to beautify and transform that scenery,” Ikwaye said.
He said Mombasa now has a very beautiful and welcoming atmosphere when one gets to Mombasa by road, air, or rail.
“And that is what we need for a touristic city. That is what you get when you go to other leading destinations. We hope the national and county governments can do more in terms of PPPs,” Ikwaye said.
Nimlesh Premji, the man responsible for the beautification, said he was inspired by other cities that he has visited across the globe and sold the idea to Mombasa Cement CDO Hasmukh Patel.
He said he was even further encouraged by Mombasa County’s interest when he also sold the idea to them.
“I would like to thank Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir for giving us an opportunity to beautify this area and others across the county,” the Mombasa Cement social work officer said on Wednesday.
He said the most decorated area is the Makupa roundabout because it is the main entry into Mombasa by any means of transport.
“We need to attract all the tourists from both the local and international markets,” Premji said.
Premji and MP Twalib said Mombasa is a tourism hub, and tourism is one of the two main economic activities in the county, apart from the Mombasa port.
“I would like to thank Hasmukh Patel and Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir for this collaboration which in many ways makes Mombasa stand out,” Twalib said.
He called on more stakeholders in Mombasa to take responsibility and play a part in making the county attractive for tourism.
He said both the national and county governments of Mombasa have done a lot to make Mombasa attractive through infrastructural development and beautification efforts.
“In the past, driving from the Moi International Airport to the Mombasa CBD used to be an unattractive exercise because of the traffic jam at the Makupa Causeway and the dumpsite at Kibarani.
“Today, the causeway has been turned into one of the best roads in Kenya and the dumpsite has been turned into a beautiful park thanks to Mombasa Cement,” Twalib said.
He called on Kenyans to spend the holidays in Mombasa.