Malindi’s tourism fortunes are slowly fading away from what was once a renowned vibrant, beautiful city to a dirty and filthy town marred with poor road maintenance.
Investors who had fallen in love with Malindi are today opting for Watamu, Kilifi and Diani, which are better compared to the old resort.
Historically, Malindi used to attract thousands of tourists each year due to its cleanliness, hospitality of the people and nearness to the national parks, among other attractions, such as the beach.
However, gone are the days when tourists would tour Malindi and feel the comfort deserved for guests who come to enjoy their holidays.
Malindi residents protest against stalled road projects and poor drainage system in the resort town. pic.twitter.com/zwfIg1N62a
— The Star, Kenya (@TheStarKenya) July 25, 2018
Today, those investors and holidaymakers who have been in the resort town for decades feel it has been abandoned by the authorities.
In 2001, Malindi was declared the cleanest town in Kenya, during the tenure of the then Mayor Gideon Mung’aro — the current Chief Administrative Secretary for Lands.
The town became a runner-up in 2003 and the following year it was nominated to represent Kenya at the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum in Barcelona, Spain. It received a Gold Award from Total Oil Kenya Eco-Challenge in 2004.
That time, there were a lot of initiatives, including that of the then-famous Malindi Green Town Movement, headed by hotelier Godfrey Karume, which dealt with beautification of the resort city.
However, gone are the days when Malindi used to shine right from the central business district to the tourism resort establishments.
Among the problems annoying investors and even residents is the dumpsite located in Casuarina, near the luxurious tourism establishments.
Malindi dumpsite was established over 40 years ago as an area where all waste materials would be dumped. That time, the population of Malindi was small, and managing it was easy.
With the rise in population, the site has now become a menace, despite neighbouring prominent investors and politicians such as Italian billionaire Flavio Briatore, who established the Billionare Resort and the Lion in the Sun.
Reports indicate that nowadays, the resorts are unable to set up dinner outside. Flies from the Casuarina dumpsite flock to the food, posing a major health risk and putting off customers.
Further, there are thousands of dumpsite birds that flock the area due to its nearness to the site. These cause havoc to holidaymakers wishing to relax.
The situation is worsened when the waste is burnt and toxic smells fill the area.
Dr Liliana Pierino, an entrepreneur who is in charge of The Holdings of Italian billionaire Flavio Briatore, has offices close to the dumpsite. He wonders why the county government has never thought of improving the standard of the resort town to make it attractive to holidaymakers.
During an interview recently, he said Malindi is in pathetic condition because of the poor roads, electricity and drainage if it rains.
However, he concluded by saying the biggest problem of all is the dumpsite, which is now getting closer to tourism establishments.
“It’s affecting the staying of guests In Malindi and its environs. It’s affecting the health of the people of Malindi, and there is a risk of health hazards,” he said.
Pierino says as investors, they are doing their best to bring in high-end tourists. But of late, it’s becoming difficult for them to go out at night due to poor lighting on the roads and the potholes, as they do not feel safe.
“It’s affecting business because restaurants that are supposed to be visited by the guests can’t get clients. We wonder what is happening,” he said.
The investor, who has been in Malindi for over 25 years, asked why, despite the increased population in Malindi, the dumpsite has not been relocated.
During the tenure of Dan Kazungu as Malindi MP, he acquired land in Kakuyuni and had set up plans to relocate the dumpsite.
However, the idea died following his appointment as Cabinet Secretary in 2016, and subsequently as Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania.
“The dumpsite is affecting our lives. All houses nearby have a bad smell. When there is fire, resorts or houses with makuti roofs can cause a major disaster,” Pierino said.
In his opinion, Malindi has been abandoned. “The dumpsite is in terrible condition, and it is 500m away from the main road. Something must be done. It’s 10 years since people began to say it should be relocated,” Pierino said.
He said the government should not focus on publicity on television to promote tourism, as clients need to get value of their money.