This archive report was first published on 6 October 2019.
Published on October 6, 2019, residents of Watamu have given their consent to a group of investors to build Palm Exotica, a 61-floor mixed-use development highrise resort along Turtle Bay Road, Dabaso, Kilifi County.
The project, designed by Italian architect Lorenzo Pagnini, will be developed by New York and South Africa investors and Italian billionaire Franco Rosco. It will feature residential suites, a 24-hour casino, Presidential suites, studios, a retail mall, a nightclub, a theatre, a cinema, a wellness spa, a children's play area, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, and a five-star hotel.
However, concerns have been raised by locals and environmental authorities about the project's impact on the environment. Tourism CS Najib Balala had earlier expressed his concerns about constructing the megastructure near the beach.
Construction experts and Watamu residents had also raised objections about the project, citing the small 4-acre space designated for the building and the challenges of constructing such a structure near the sea, mangrove lagoon, and shallow aquifers.
The National Environment Management Authority has received an environmental assessment study report for the proposed project and held a public hearing meeting on October 3 to assist in the decision-making process.
