The unspoken scourge of racism in Kenyan tourist hotels

Tourists who are on holiday relax at the Swahili Beach Hotel along the South Coast beach hotels after the hotel was classified as a five star category jointly with the Leopard Beach Resort by the Tourism Regulatory Authority last week, August 14, 2016. Another hotel in Watamu, Medina Palms Suites and Villas was also classified in the same category. Most of the five star beach hotels were dropped to the four star category. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

Reports last month that the Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) and hotels on the South Coast had negotiated preferential treatment for foreign tourists so they wouldn’t face stringent security checks sparked fury across the country.

Promoters of the hotel sector went to great lengths to stifle and discredit these reports and in no time, the stories had disappeared from the internet, perhaps an indication that the revelations had caused discomfort for industry players.