By John Mutiso
Mombasa County Police Commander Peter Kimani has announced new safety measures for beaches in Mombasa ahead of the festive season, including a mandatory clearing of the ocean by 6pm.
Speaking on Wednesday, December 10, he said the measures aim to ensure safe celebrations, especially with the anticipated rise in both local and international visitors.
“When it reaches 6pm, police officers will blow whistles to instruct people to get out of the water so we can prevent incidents caused by high tide and possible drowning. We also have the County Government, KWS, the Kenya Navy and Coast Guard boats on standby,” he said.
Kimani added that security agencies have strengthened surveillance and coordination on beaches expected to attract large crowds.
He said several agencies have already been mobilised to ensure beachgoers enjoy themselves without interruptions.
“At the beaches where we expect large crowds, including local tourists, we have activated the beach management committees, which consist of KWS, general police, tourist police and the Coast Guard, to ensure that people celebrating there are not disturbed by beach boys and hawkers,” he added.
Additionally, event organisers have been placed under new guidelines to ensure proper planning and coordination.
He noted that anyone planning to host events must follow notification and permit procedures to allow authorities to prepare adequate security arrangements.
“Those who are planning to hold events should give a three-day notification and also inform the County Government so that they can be issued with a permit, after which we will provide security for those facilities.
“We know many hotels have planned such celebrations, and it is important that we have proper coordinated measures in place,” he further said.
