Calls to extend Lamu fete

With only two weeks left to the 18th edition of the Lamu Cultural Festival, various trade, tourism, hotel and transport stakeholders as well as residents have sought an extension of the event.

The stakeholders and residents said the four days were too few to hold the festival, which comes with a lot of goodies for almost all sectors in Lamu.

The festival, to be marked from November 22 to 25, is an annual event normally celebrated in the Old Town, a city listed as a Unesco World Heritage site.

Those who spoke to the Nation Friday, want the county government to reconsider allocating more than 10 days or even a whole month to the festival.

“It’s during such a time that we traders reap big in terms of profits. Many people, including domestic and foreign tourists, come to Lamu for the event. That alone expands our customer base and obviously boosts the county’s trade and tourism sectors,” said Mr Omar Baishe, a hotelier.