BY PRIMROSE OMOTO
Kwale will this weekend hold a second annual cultural festival dubbed ‘Kwale Heritage and Cultural Festival’.
The festival will commence on Friday running all the way to Sunday.
The major event is scheduled to take place on Saturday at Waa High School and later end in Diani.
The event aims to promote tourism by embracing the diverse cultural heritage and rich cultures of the Kwale people.
Prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Mining CS Salim Mvurya and his Education Counterpart Ezekiel Machogu and Governor Fatuma Achani are among the expected guests.
Speaking to Coast Times the event’s coordinator Ali Maingu said the festival would comprise traditional dances, songs, foods and poems among other things.
He said they will showcase various cultures and historical attraction sites as a way of tapping and exploiting tourism opportunities.
“Our county has many tourist attraction sites that are unidentified and when well utilized can change the economy of our county,” he said.
He mentioned of a giant footprint known as Lwayo la Mungu in Lunga-lunga.
He alleged that the area has a rich history because locals believe that God set foot and left a big footprint on a rock.
The footprint is more than two feet long and the area is believed to have a powerful spiritual influence.
Other historical attraction sites include the gazetted Kwale forests, petrified trees, ancient graves and monuments.
Maingu said when tourism grows it will pave the way for infrastructural development hence improving the living standards of the local people as well as the county’s economy.
Chairman of Kenya National Chambers of Commerce and Industry Abubakar Mkumbuka said the event is targeted at showcasing different cultures through food, traditional wear, dance and music to promote tourism.
Mkumbuka said they will also take the opportunity to celebrate 100 years of Waa High School.
The school is believed to be the oldest in East Africa.
According to him, they will hold a fundraiser targeting to collect sh200 Million for infrastructural development for the school.
“Given its long history and records of academic excellence, Waa school deserves proper recognition and dignity,” he said.
He said countries like Switzerland, Zanzibar and Egypt have become successful because of the local tourism.
Kombani Homes Limited CEO Mariam Igane advised Kwale residents to take advantage of the events to get a deeper understanding of the county’s different cultures and appreciate one another.
