By Agnetta Okwemba
When the word tourism is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the sandy beaches of the Coast and the big 5 animals at Maasai Mara Game Park.
The Pwani Heritage CBO is challenging this notion through the Kwale Heritage annual event that speaks highly about the Coastal culture and the gems found within it.
As the county is set to host the third Kwale heritage event at Ukunda Show ground and Leopard Beach Resort respectively the organizers are optimistic on having heritage Tourism embraced.
Pwani Heritage coordinator Ali Maingu said that the event will mainly showcase the Coastal culture that is the food, clothing and historical places.
“Our focus is on unique areas purposefully to attract tourists to those places. There’s many more places than just the sandy beaches,” he said.
He cited Lwayo ya Mulungu in LungaLunga translated to Godsβ Footprint as one of the areas of focus.
Another one is the Lukore petrified tree that can serve as a very important tourist attraction site where a tree is said to have turned to a stone after over two hundred million years as a result of mineralization.
Speaking to Coast Times Digital, Maingu said that the event will also have other activities such as tree planting and blood donation as well as reciting of cultural poems.
Maingu said that other countries have tapped heritage Tourism and are benefitting a lot adding that Kenya can emulate.
We have a pool of Africa maps that is only in Kenya and such sites need marketing for tourists to come and see,β he said.
Bujra Mohamed, a content creator, said that locals should come out in large numbers and see what Kwale has as heritage and cultural history which will be showcased during the event.
βIt is a chance for every tribe in Kwale to showcase what they have also in terms of food and clothes among other things. It will be a good arena to see also traditional foods available,β he added
Nthambi Kibwana, a Kwale Resident and member of Pwani Heritage CBO explains the importance of holding onto cultures to avoid it from being extinct.
Different cultural foods will be prepared and displayed such as Sima ya Bada (ugali from cassava flour).
They argue that the cultural foods are nutritious packed, urging people to incorporate them in their meals amidst the Western culture.
The cultural activities will be held at Kwale Showgrounds and later celebrate the heritage at Leopard’s Beach Hotel, Diani.
Leaders expected during the event include County’s governor Fatuma Achani, senate Speaker Amason Β Kingi, PS Heritage and Deputy government’s spokesperson Mwanaisha Chidzuga among others.
