This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
As part of stringent measures to combat Covid-19, the Mombasa County Covid-19 Emergency Committee has directed all restaurants, hotels, salons, and second-hand clothes dealers to reapply for licenses before reopening.
The applications will be vetted by the committee, co-chaired by Governor Hassan Joho and County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo, and certificates of compliance will be issued once all requirements have been met.
According to the committee's guidelines, facilities will be inspected and vetted, and approval will be granted for reopening once all requirements have been met.
However, hospitality industry players in Mombasa have protested that the conditions set by the committee are too strict and expensive.
Sam Ikwaye, the executive officer of the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers Coast branch, said that while they appreciated measures being taken by the county committee to stem further spread of the novel virus, they were concerned that some of these were untenable.
“Some of the clauses will make it difficult for already suffering enterprises to comply. Continued closure of these premises will further erode demand and appeal for destination Kenya when normalcy returns. In essence, the guidelines do not help the destination to respond and recover from the effects of the pandemic,” said Dr Ikwaye.
Among the measures that the committee wants met by hoteliers include keeping spas and children parks closed and limiting the number of people attending large gatherings such as seminars, weddings, and workshops.
Others are doing away with buffets and all central serving of food, setting up a holding area for suspected Covid-19 cases, implementation of contactless check-in, providing guests with hygiene kits, introducing technological systems such as guest messaging for direct and rapid contact with guests for reservations, refund, cancellation, or information about infections.
Robert Kiri, a hotelier, said that some of the reopening conditions would be difficult to implement because they involve additional work in hotels.
“It is not going to be cheap to meet all the requirements. We need the Tourism Finance Corporation to hasten the disbursement of loans to enable some hoteliers carry out some adjustments,” said Kiri.
