The fun-filled 18th edition of this year’s Lamu Cultural Festival came to a close on Sunday, in what has been termed the most successful festival ever in the history of Lamu.
A few years ago, Lamu Island was christened the Island of Festivals, thanks to the numerous festivals that have been introduced to capture the allure of the region and attract tourists.
These festivals include the famous Maulid, Painters festival, Hats festival and the Yoga festival, all of which are annually crowned by the now world-famous Lamu Cultural Festival.
The cultural festival was officially launched back in 2001 by the then Tourism Minister Najib Balala, with the sole objective of celebrating the Swahili culture, while at the same time using the platform to grow tourism in the region.
This year’s theme was ‘Tembea Lamu’, and all those who turned up did exactly that, touring exotic tourist attraction sites and enjoying the finger-licking Swahili cuisine that was in plenty around hotels and restaurants in the island.
Organisers said the theme was specifically construed as a motivation to encourage people to tour Lamu and explore the great array of cultural and historical sites.
FESTIVAL HISTORY
The festival is held every November in the Lamu old town, a historical city that was listed back in 2001 by Unesco as a World Heritage site.
The old town is a rich reservoir of unique and well-preserved cultures that depict the lives of Africans, Arabs and Indians who inhabited the region in past decades, while also showcasing the various trades they engaged in.
The cultural festival showcases the rich culture and heritage of Lamu’s Swahili communities. It is preceded by various competitions, led by the famous donkey race, swimming race, dhow race and a combination of traditional dances.
The winners receive handsome cash rewards, a move that has kept the motivation for participation high by the locals over the years.
The festival is renowned for its titillating economic returns, which leave many traders and businesspeople reaping larger profits than they would have on their normal business days.
The turnout was more than what the organisers, Lamu Cultural Promotional Group, had anticipated, at 50,000. The group was founded and is chaired by Ghalib Alwy. He said this year’s budget was Sh13 million.
Previous festivals have been marred by security problems due to numerous al Shabaab terror attacks, which have left a permanent mark in the region’s security. But this year’s edition was merrier and was considered by many as safer and more efficient.
This was attributed to the immense efforts made by security units conducting the Linda Boni Security operation, who have been able to contain the attacks and restore the security and prestige of the region.
“We are awed beyond expectation. Initially we were rooting for around 50,000 people but this year, the festival proved more alluring than ever before. We scored more than that. We had more than that. In just four days, every sector got a taste of good fortunes. We laud the security for what they have done. Its priceless,” Alwy said.
The huge turnout has been immensely credited to many factors but most of all the security, peace and tranquility being witnessed in Lamu at the moment.
The Lamu county government was the major sponsor of this year’s festival, with support from various donors including the Kenya Tourism Board, Magical Kenya, Kenya Ports Authority, the European Union and the National Museums of Kenya.
BOOST FOR TRADE AND TOURISM
Tourism executive Dismas Mwasambu expressed confidence that this year’s fete had greatly boosted trade and tourism.
Mwasambu said the festival had also served to boost the confidence of tourists and visitors, considering the fact that the region has had its reputation tarnished by al Shabaab attacks.
He said the crackdown by government forces on al Shabaab inside the Boni forest had resulted in immense peace and tranquility.
“We are glad to proudly announce that Lamu is one of the safest destinations. The peace and stability we have wanted so much is finally back and we can now live lives normally thanks to the efforts of the security officers here, and this year’s cultural festival is enough proof of that. The tourism sector is once again back on track,” Mwasambu said.
EU Ambassador Stefano Dejak said the festival was an opportunity for young people to be rightly proud of their culture.
In a statement issued to the media, Dejak was quoted as saying: “Those who are aware and proud of their identity are also happier to contribute to the life of their societies. The festival is a celebration of Lamu’s traditional values, reminding all of us of the long and fascinating history of peaceful Swahili values, traditionally acting as a bridge across many different cultures united by the so-called ‘Trade Winds’, the Monsoon.
“I therefore applaud the Lamu Cultural Festival’s rich community spirit.”
The EU has and continues to be among the major sponsors of the festival since its inception years ago.
Traders and stakeholders in the tourism and hotel industry have admitted having raking in immense profits than in any of the other preceding festivals.
Hawkers who attended the four-day fete admitted to having made enormous sales like never before.
CASHING IN ON RENT
This year also provided a rare opportunity for locals to not only showcase their culture but also get a slice of the huge economic returns.
Locals were able to turn their residential houses into temporary rentals for the overwhelming population of local and foreign tourists and make some good money from the venture.
Munir Saida, who rents out one of her two homes for the four-day period, said: “I made over Sh150,000 just by renting out my apartment to four guests for the four days. I can only imagine if this would have lasted a week.”
Since Lamu island can only be accessed via boat rides, boat operators recorded the highest ever proceeds. Many owners were forced to purchase additional boats to cater to the overwhelming population of guests that flocked in for the festival.
The famous tour guides, commonly known as beach boys, got to make a killing of their lifetime due to the high number of guests who wanted to be shown around the numerous destinations.
“On normal days, we go home with just about Sh1,500 from walking tourists. But for the four-day period, many of us have made at least Sh7,000 daily,” Khamis Musa said.
CALLS FOR EXTENSION
However, the festival was not without disappointment, as stakeholders expressed disgruntlement over the extremely short period the festival has to take place.
Many have proposed that such a well-paying festival be extended by at least a week to enable the region reapmaximum benefits.
Alwy says the major hindrance to an extension is inadequate finances. He says the role played by the festival is not only beneficial to Lamu but to the country at large, as it is able to market Kenya to larger platforms worldwide.
“A place like Dubai holds a similar festival for a whole month and the returns are just amazing. I wish the same would be in Lamu. Let's even have it for 10 days instead of four and see how a single festival can transform not just Lamu but Kenya. The festival not only boosts trade, tourism and other sectors but also promotes cohesion, and that’s what Kenya stands for,”
Alwy says.
Calls have been made to the county government to consider setting aside funds annually to enable extension of the festival in future.
Hotelier Omar Baishe says he does not understand why the county can’t invest immensely in the festival, which is known to turn lives around.
“By the time the festival is ending, every single sector here is normally thriving. We make profits that we would otherwise never be able to dream of,” he said.
“Supposing it is extended? Lamu can build itself even further.”
This festival means a lot, but key among them is the fact that visitors are able to prove that it is back on track regardless of what happened in the past. It builds their confidence. To do this even more, there is a need for festival dates to be extended.”