The security apparatus in the coastal county of Kwale are on high alert to effectively deter crime as the November-December lengthy school holiday kicks in.
As thousands of holidaymakers flock to the pristine sandy beaches in Diani beaches, the visitors are being encouraged to be updated on basic water safety precautions.
Kwale County Commissioner (CC) Karuku Ngumo said the government has taken steps to strengthen safety and security of the public during the long school holidays.
Ngumo said security checks at the public beaches are being stepped up.
The county boss said security patrols has been intensified in all tourist attraction sites and warned that those planning to take advantage of the long holidays to engage in criminal activities would face the full force of the law.
The administrator also told tourist hotels to step up their security measures during the peak holiday season to ensure the safety of their guests.
He said many domestic tourists come with their families from Nairobi, Kisumu and Nakuru to Mombasa and Kwale to take advantage of the long school vacations.
“Most of the visitors end up on our beaches to swim,” he said adding that no children would be allowed near the beaches after dark for their own safety and security.
Ngumo said the ban will be effective in December when many people flock the pristine beaches.
He said the order is meant protect children from falling prey to sex pets and drowning cases.
“We are actually doing this to safeguard our children from being defiled by sex pests and mostly from losing lives in water while swimming alone,” he said.
Ngumo cautioned that serious actions will be taken against those that will defy the directive.
“No one will be spared when found on the wrong side of the law, they will be arrested and prosecuted,” said Ngumo.
The CC asked parents to offer support by being watchful and restricting children’s movement to save them from harm.
He said the coastal beaches will be flooded by both locals and foreign tourists this coming festive holidays thus increasing children’s vulnerability to bad influences.
Ngumo said police will be deployed to patrol along the beaches to assist in upholding the ban and ensure safety of the citizens.
“Security officers will be moving around the coastlines hunting for criminals and making sure the beaches are safe for everyone,” he said.
At the same time, the administrator warned parents from allowing children to attend night discos and funeral disco matangas.
He said night weddings and discos have been found to contribute to teen pregnancies in the region.
He further said stern measures shall be taken against both child and the parent once found engaging in discos activities.
“Let it be a clear parent will answer for their children’s crime if at any chance we arrest one of them in night weddings and discos,” he said.
In 2018 Kwale Welfare Associations (KWEA) reported that girls dropped out of school due to pregnancies at an alarming rate.
By Hussein Abdullahi
