Semi-arid Kitui county has opened a manmade beach on a manmade lake for boating, kayaking, jet skiing and fun in the sun.
The Kalundu Eco Park in Kitui town will also have a floating restaurant.
“This is Kitui’s man-made beach, the first dryland beach in Kenya," Governor Charity Ngilu tweeted on Tuesday night. It opened on Tuesday.
It is expected to provide business opportunities and jobs.
She said the eco park will be a recreation alternative for people unable to travel to regular holiday destinations because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The governor spent most of Tuesday afternoon officiating at the opening.
Creating the dryland beach cost Sh3 million. Other facilities, including a floating restaurant, will be built through a public-private partnership.
The ceremony was attended by Kitui government staff led by CEC for Tourism and Sports Koki Musau. Deputy Governor Wathe Nzau attended.
The 30.9-acre recreational facility includes a nine-acre, man-made dam and paved walkways. It is billed as the epitome of Kitui's tourism attractions.
“I have today officially opened it for use during the Christmas festivities, especially at this tough time of the pandemic when travel to traditional holiday destinations is severely limited," the governor said.
She added the Kenyan Coast has come to semi-arid Kiitui.
Ngilu said business-minded residents could cash in by tapping into its value chain.
"This is an investment that will spur business opportunities inside and outside the eco park and create employment," she said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
