A section of hoteliers in the South Coast region have been accused of refusing to take part in statistical data collection by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
Kwale assistant county commissioner Kenneth Gitonga said that out of 28 tourists hotels only 17 have cooperated with KNBS officials.
He said on Friday that the bureau has had difficulty accessing some of the hotels to collect information and asked them to cooperate with officials.
"There is nothing that is going to be revealed to the public about their business secrets," he said.
The commissioner was speaking during the Africa Statistics Day event at Baraza Park in Kwale.
Hotels are expected to provide data to KNBS on, among other things, their operations and bed occupancy.
But some establishments have refused to participate citing fears that business secrets may be leaked.
Gitonga said such statistics are important for both the national and county governments in order to plan for socioeconomic development.
According to the Statistics Act, the bureau cannot publish or release any data that could discloce information obtained relating to any identifiable business without the establishment's consent.
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Kwale county statistics officer Alex Munga told locals to appreciate the role of statistical data collection, analysis and dissemination in planning and development.
Sam Ikwaye, the chief executive of South Coast Hotel Keepers and Caterers Association, decried the fragmented ownership of data and urged hoteliers a multi-sectorial approach in data collection.