01/07/09, 20:52:51 UTC

  e-mail this article

Kenya: Players in Tourism Industry Pray for Revival of Carnival

allafrica.com

When a young official first came up with the idea of holding a street carnival in Mombasa ten years ago, it looked like a far-fetched dream.

The year was 1997 and the young official was Mr Najib Balala, then the chairman of the Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association. Now, he is the MP for Mvita.

All those who took part in the festival agreed that it had been a resounding success and a repeat performance would be in order the following year.

Naturally, many in the business and political arena at the Coast wanted to be part of the grand plan.

At the time, the tourism industry was facing a slump due to the clashes that had hit parts of the Coast Province, particularly Likoni, and Kenya's dwindling reputation internationally.

When it was first held, the carnival was part of festivities to mark 400 years of Fort Jesus. The events had been organised by the National Museums of Kenya.

Ten years later, many people who took part in the festivities still harbour fond memories of the carnival that helped to change the face and fortunes of Mombasa and brought back the lustre that had been taken away by corruption at the Town Hall.

In a recent interview, Mr Balala said plans were afoot to organise a similar event next year.

"We are going to start serious plans including the formation of a steering committee to start the process of a purely cultural event for Mombasa," he said.

One of the people involved in organising the second carnival in 1998 was tour operator Tasneem Adamji. When contacted recently, she said it was a great pity that such a major cultural event had been in limbo for over nine years.

She recalled that the carnival attracted over 100,000 people from Kenya and abroad and was a gem she would be willing to see back on Mombasa streets.

"But there have to be better structures that would ensure that the carnival is run more professionally just like the Brazilian one. People are still asking for it, an indication that there is still goodwill from the public. What now remains is for us to get organised," she said.

At its peak, the event showcased various cultural and traditional activities and had a budget of Sh3 million. It started with two processions: One from Moi Avenue with a convoy of trucks and an array of traditional dances and the other from Fort Jesus. The Fort Jesus procession mainly involved riders on horsebacks. The two groups converged at Nyerere Avenue before proceeding to the picturesque Mama Ngina Drive where the rest of the ceremony was held.

That year, the carnival was organised through a trust but Ms Tasneem, now the chairperson of the Coast Association of Tour Operators, said such an outfit should be replaced by a secretariat.

"However," she said "I don't see it being revived this year even if there was everything in place." According to her, the next carnival will probably be in 2008 "when all the politics will be over".

One of the reasons that led to the collapse of the idea was lack of adequate funding that made it difficult to coordinate activities. There were also attempts by some organisers to use the event to gain political mileage.

The carnival was a major puller of advertisement and marketing because in its second year, major international media organisations trooped to Mombasa to cover the event, says a Mombasa media practitioner. The event was beamed live on the Internet.

Perhaps this was the beginning of the end because with its growing popularity and potential to attract more tourists and investments, the issue of who would control the carnival took centre stage.

"With the shoving among the main players, it became evident that there was not going to be a third one. Nine years down the line, people are still hoping another one of that magnitude will be held," he said.

Former councillor Raphael Livu said Mombasa was sparkling at the time because the town's beautification programme had just been initiated.

A good period

"It was a good period in the history of the town because for the two years, droves of visitors were moving to the coastal town. It was a major boost for tourism," he said.

But Mr Livu said the carnival died an unnatural death because of selfishness among people who wanted to take credit for it.

"What the carnival lacked was goodwill from the political class because even councillors were not fully involved. This is something that needs to be looked at afresh," he said.

Mr Livu, now the coordinator of the Coast Residents Platform, is optimistic that with the successful hosting of the World Cross Country and the availability of devolved funds, it will be much easier to revive the carnival spirit.

And the national chairperson of the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers, Ms Lucy Karume, said: "We would very much support any move for its reinstatement and particularly if it is done annually or bi-annually".

 Printable Version  | published Sep 06, 2007