- Organisers are currently in the process of obtaining clearance from the ministries of Health and Tourism to host the fete.
- The annual fete is held to celebrate and showcase the rich culture and heritage of Lamu's Swahili people.
Lamu county is gearing up for the 20th edition of the Lamu Cultural Festival in November after the event was suspended last year due to Covid-19.
The Lamu Cultural Festival was launched in 2000 and is normally marked in the old town, a historical place that listed in 2001 by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.
The fete showcases the rich culture and heritage of Lamu’s Swahili communities. It is preceded by various competitions led by the famous donkey race, swimming, dhow races and traditional dances.
Event organisers include the Lamu Cultural Festival Promotional Group, Lamu Tourism Association, Lamu Foundation and the county government.
The organisers say they are currently in the process of obtaining clearance from the ministries of Health and Tourism to host the fete.
The annual fete is held to celebrate and showcase the rich culture and heritage of Lamu's Swahili people that has captivated the world for centuries.
Speaking in on Thursday, Lamu Cultural Festival Promotional Group chairperson Ghalib Alwy said the organisers will ensure strict adherence to all Covid-19 protocols as prescribed by the Ministry of Health.
“We know what the pandemic has done to tourism around the globe. That will however not stop us from holding the festival this year. We have all plans in place to ensure all attendees and organisers stick to and observe all Covid-19 regulations,”Alwy said.
He said the cultural festival is the best avenue to market Lamu’s wealth of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
The festival has helped propel Lamu to the global tourism markets.
Previous festivals have seen the region host over 30,000 people from local and global destinations who flock the island to witness the magical moments of the fete.
This year, however, might see a lower number of attendees due to the pandemic.
“For us, it’s the perfect platform to boost all tourism-related businesses, heritage conservation, value addition to our merchandise and at the same time create employment for all as has been the norm,” Alwy said.
The LTA deputy chairperson Friday Njeri said the event is the best opportunity to brand and package Lamu as a unique tourist destination in the country.
“We are currently in the process of setting the dates for this year’s festival later this year,” Njeri said.
This comes at a time when tourism stakeholders in the county are pushing for the return of the annual festivals that have previously been used as platforms to market Lamu to the world.
These festivals had earned Lamu island the tag ‘Island of Festivals'.
They include the Eid-Ul-Adhar, Maulidi Festival, Food and Expo Festival, Lamu Fishing Competition, Lamu Art Festival, The Lamu Cultural Festival, Lamu Yoga Festival, the Kite Festival, Shella Hat Contest and the Lamu Painters Festival.
All of these festivals are conducted in different months of a single year and have been known to attract thousands of tourists and visitors.
They especially came in handy following the 2014 terror attacks that saw the region’s tourism take a plunge.
Edited by Henry Makori