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Previous Maulid festivals have seen throngs of up to 30,000 people flock the tiny Lamu island for the religious festival.
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This year, however, there were just about 10,000 mostly domestic tourists who turned up.
Hoteliers and boat operators are among the biggest earners from this year’s Maulid festival on Lamu island.
The 134th edition of the weeklong festival ran from November 2 to 5. But despite the low turnout of guests, traders were able to make a killing from the few thousands who came.
Previous Maulid festivals have seen throngs of up to 30,000 people flock the tiny Lamu island.
This year, however, there were just about 10,000 mostly domestic tourists who turned up, enough to allow local traders and hoteliers make enough profits.
The Maulid festival is marked annually by Muslims in remembrance of the birth of Prophet Muhammed in the holy city of Mecca in 570AD.
The festival is marked every third month of the Islamic calendar and is always held at Riyadha Mosque, the longest functioning and most influential Islamic teaching institution in the East African Coast.
This year’s festival attracted guests from as far as from Morocco, Comoro Islands, Tanzania and Uganda.
Local visitors were drawn from Tana River, Malindi, Kilifi, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru and other counties.
Local airlines with daily trips to Lamu also made profits as thousands flew in for the festival.
Lamu island is a major tourist destination in the county.
With the curfew having been lifted, boat operators were able to make money 24 hours as the demand for their services remained high during the festival and after.
Those who normally do two trips or three a day were able to do more than 10 trips even through the night.
“The pandemic had badly affected business and the Maulid festival was more like a booster to get us to the right. We have made some quick money in just four days. The demand for boat transport has been high and that meant more money for us,” said Abdalla Said, a boat operator.
Traders who came in from the mainland areas of Mpeketoni, Hindi, Mokowe and far-flung islands of Kizingitini, Faza, Pate and Mkokoni all went home with fat wallets from the sale of simple Swahili meals like roasted potatoes, grilled beef skewers (mishkaki),coconut water (madafu) and, of course, sea food.
Mohamed Omar, who sells grilled beef skewers, hiked his prices from the normal Sh20 to Sh50 a stick.
“I was overwhelmed and sold over 1,000 pieces. Business was really good. We need more of such events and festivals,” Omar said.
Traders from neighboring Tana River and Kilifi counties also made a fortune from the festival.
Travel agent Mohamed Msuo said their company made twice what they make in a normal month.
“We do air, water and road transport and it was a massive success,” he said.
The Maulid festival came to a colorful end with the famous donkeys, dhows and swimming races at the Lamu seafront on Thursday followed by processions on Friday.
Visitors witnessed various activities ranging from traditional dancing with sumptuous performances of the Goma la Lamu, Twari la Ndiya, a traditional dance with origin from Pate Island, and Quran Kareem Memorization at the Riyadha Mosque Grounds.
The festival attendees also benefited from a free medical camp organized by the Riyadha Mosque that saw over 1,000 treated at the King Fahad Hospital in Lamu island.
Over 100 surgeries including eye cataracts, general surgeries involving inguinal hernias, umbilical hernia, hypospadias, testicular torsion, prostate hypertrophy, land mine injuries, gynecological and pediatric cases were conducted.
Organisers led by Riyadha Mosque and Islamic Centre secretary general Abubakar Mohammed Badawy termed this year’s event successful.
“We planned for 6,000 but received 10,000. We pray that the next one will be even better,” Badawy said.
Edited by Henry Makori