As of today, bathing after 5:30 p.m. is prohibited at all public beaches in Kenya, both sea and lake. The decision was made yesterday by the government, which thus wanted to curb the incidents that happened in coastal tourist resorts during the early days of the Christmas holidays.
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy Salim Mvurya said that not only as of today there is a ban on bathing after 5:30 p.m., but it is completely forbidden for those who have drunk beyond measure to dive into the water.
The minister told the media that he has organized a team of agents who have been assigned to enforce the ban in the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria. He also warned that the officers will begin a crackdown on unfit boats, enforce the proper use of life jackets, and inspect jacket standards. This latest directive follows an incident off the local "Pirates Beach," Bamburi in Mombasa, where 11 members of a family were involved in a boating tragedy that left two dead plus a third who is battling in intensive care and two 3 5-month-old children in serious but stable condition.
"We are aware that some beach operators are using unsafe boats because of the high number of vacationers," Mvurya said, pointing the finger at those who do not meet the passenger numbers for which the boats would be approved.
During Christmas Eve and Christmas, other locations also experienced accidents at sea and in the pool. In Diani a visibly tipsy swimmer was rescued from the high seas in a semi-conscious state and saved by a miracle; in Malindi a Kenyan tourist drowned in a resort pool.
Failure to prevent and find drastic solutions certainly does not help tourism, because especially with these high temperatures, swimming at sunset time is a great pleasure. Let's hope the directive is limited to these days when beaches are stormed even by those who are not very familiar with the Indian Ocean and water in general.