Traders in Mombasa County are set to reap windfall from booming businesses, starting this weekend with the arrival of over 10,000 visitors to attend this year’s edition of County Assemblies Sports Association (CASA).
A spot check by KNA showed an increase in the numbers of visitors arriving into the coastal Tourist City in readiness for the weeklong event.
Some local hotels reportedly increased bookings by guests, with restaurants and nightclubs gearing towards hosting social events this weekend.
The County Government has urged traders to increase their stocks ready to tap into mega business opportunities coming out of the sporting event.
Sports Chief Officer, Tobias Amba, said elaborate arrangements have been put in place to make the 2021 3rd CASA games, which will officially kick-off, Monday, successful.
“We urge our business community to stock their business in readiness for the busy event. We expect our traders to benefit from the occasion since they will demand for everything,” Amba noted.
The games which were to be held in September 2019, were shelved to this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It will be one of the major sports events to be held in Mombasa, after the removal of the curfew by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Addressing journalists at the Mombasa Sports Club, CASA Chairman, Peter Imwatok, assured that the Ministry of Health Covid-19 protocols will be observed during the event.
Participants are urged to adhere to the requirements of vaccination with people who have not been inoculated denied entry into the venues hosting the event.
The County Public Health Chief Officer, Pauline Oginga, had said they will also use the opportunity of hosting the event to conduct mass Covid-19 vaccination in Mombasa.
He further added that only two third of spectators will be allowed in the events in order to give room for social distancing.
“We wish to encourage all of you to obey all the guidelines that were put by the Ministry of Health so that we may not be caught unaware by Covid-19,” said Amba.
He added that the event will cover different games including football, volleyball, badminton, netball, athletics and beauty contests among others.
Several fields across the County will be used for the week-long sporting event to avoid crowding of people in a single playground.
The fields include Shanzu, Mbaraki, Bamburi, Tononoka, Technical University of Mombasa and Kenya Coast National Polytechnic.
The event is held annually in a County selected among applicants and Mombasa won to host the 3rd Edition after Nairobi and Uasin Gishu counties, which hosted the first and second editions respectively.
By Galgalo Bocha and Riziki Tokal
