The government has assured local and international visitors to Mombasa County of adequate security as the high tourist season begins this month.
Mombasa County Commissioner Maalim Mohamed assured the tourists that the Coast region is safe even as the US warned its citizens against visiting some parts of the coastal town.
Mr Mohamed said the government had intensified security in Mombasa Town and across the coast region to safeguard locals, visitors and property.
“We have mapped all the hot spots in the county including Kenya Ferry at the Likoni Channel and Old Town areas. We want to assure our potential tourists that all is well in Mombasa and we will make sure it remains a safe destination,” he said.
Mr Mohamed was speaking to journalists after chairing a joint County Security and Intelligence Committee meeting of the region’s six sub-counties.
He said the recent terror attack in Mandera County where six people were killed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants after a bus they were travelling in was sprayed with bullets was meant to draw attention away from their main targets.
“I have directed all sub-county committees to meet on a weekly basis to address all the emerging issues,” Mohamed said.
He called on the public to be extra vigilant and report suspicious characters to the security agencies for action.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala late in June said that security across the country had significantly improved after the government invested heavily in equipping the police and the Kenya Defence Forces to combat terrorism threats from Al-Shabaab.