Tourists and locals seeking to hold sea events in the port city of Mombasa will be required to get the necessary clearance from the County Security Committee under new laws.
The developments were confirmed by Governor Abdulswamad Nassir following the tragedy where three people lost their lives last Friday. MV Dragon, a boat involved in the East African Ocean Festival at Tudor Watersports in Mombasa County, overturned, leaving people stranded.
This comes after it emerged that there were security and safety gaps at Kenya's largest port tourism city, where thousands of visitors, both domestic and international, flock in their numbers for sea-related trips.
Nassir, while addressing the press on Monday, stated that the decision was made after a final debrief with a multi-agency rescue team that included the Kenya Navy, the Kenya Coast Guard, county officials, and local leaders.
''We commend all officers and volunteers who worked tirelessly. Going forward, sea events will require clearance by the County Security Committee, and the Kenya Coast Guard will investigate and publish its findings,'' Nassir said.
Lifeguards at Beaches
Surprisingly, despite the tourism significance of the city, it emerged that most beaches have yet to have standby lifeguards deployed by the government.
To address this, the county boss further announced that the county will begin recruiting lifeguards from Beach Management Units to strengthen disaster preparedness and improve emergency response along the coastline.
He said this will ensure that trained personnel will always be on standby to assist in case of accidents such as the recently witnessed one, where the government was blamed for the security lapses.
''We will also recruit lifeguards from our Beach Management Units to boost disaster preparedness. May the departed rest in peace,'' he added.
The governor’s remarks came after the recovery of two more bodies following the MV Dragon incident in the wee hours of Monday morning.
''On 12 October, the team was able to recover the body of Caleb Atieno, who was only 21 years old. On 13 October, that is this morning, we were able to recover the body of Steven Karembo, who was 23 years old,'' the governor confirmed following the discovery.
The Tudor Tragedy
The tragedy happened on Friday last week, when a boat carrying 22 people capsized during the festival. Members of the defence forces led by the Kenya Navy managed to rescue 19 people, three of whom were in critical condition and were taken to Coast General Hospital for treatment.
A joint operation by the Kenya Navy, the Kenya Red Cross, the Mombasa County Government, and members of the local community was launched immediately to search for the missing individuals, with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki visiting the command centre on Sunday to inspect the progress.
