Mombasa hotels decry acute water shortage as tourist season beckons

Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers calls for urgent intervention to help address the water shortage. [File, Standard]

Tourist establishments in Mombasa are grappling with an acute water shortage that has disrupted operations as the high tourist season beckons.

In a letter addressed to the Mombasa Executive Committee Member for Water, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC), said that its membership had raised concerns, urging urgent intervention to help address the water shortage.

''We are receiving increasingly urgent reports from our members of prolonged and unpredictable interruptions with some areas experiencing little or no water supply for extended periods,'' read the KAHC letter in part.

The association said that hotels have been forced to purchase water at exorbitant prices, placing significant financial pressure on businesses and raising concerns about hygiene, sanitation, service standards and the visitor experience.

''The situation can no longer be treated as routine service interruption. It is becoming a serious threat to Mombasa's tourism industry and the wider county economy,'' KAHC added.

KAHC called on the county administration to help restore water supply to affected tourism areas and disseminate clear information on the causes and expected timelines for resolving major interruptions.

Retired senior corporate hotel professional Patrick Marekia said that lack of sufficient water supply is a critical threat to hotel operations.

''Hotels cannot keep their premises clean without water, nor can they cook, clean linen, wear uniforms, run swimming pools or offer running showers without a sufficient supply of water,'' Marekia said.

He warned that lack of water will ultimately lead to diminishing demand, profits and finally closure of hotels.

''Its importance cannot be over emphasized,” the veteran hotelier said.