Tourists at Garoda beach in Watamu, Kilifi County. Photo by Ben Okweingoti. 
By Ben Okweingoti
Beach operators and British investors in Watamu, Kilifi County, have been embroiled in a dispute over the construction of a public toilet at Garoda Beach, despite the Kilifi County Government allocating Sh3 million for the project.
The beach operators say the growing number of domestic and international tourists visiting the area has made the lack of public sanitation facilities a major concern, with some beachgoers reportedly being forced to use bushes to relieve themselves.
Watamu Beach Tour Operators Chairman Daniel Musau, popularly known as Barcelona, said members of the Umoja Watamu Beach Operation Association were struggling to explain to tourists why the busy beach had no public toilet facilities.
Musau claimed that two beach operators were currently receiving treatment for infections allegedly linked to poor sanitation conditions.
“I have two members who are admitted now due to infections, and this is a result of them using the bushes to relieve themselves, hence they contracted infections. The County Government allocated Sh3 million and construction was due, but British investors tried to stop it,” he said.
According to Musau, Garoda Beach has more than 200 beach operators and receives over 1,000 tourists daily, making the construction of a public toilet an urgent necessity.
He said the beach serves as a key stopover for tourists travelling between Malindi and Mida Creek, particularly those using boats, and described the absence of sanitation facilities as an embarrassment to the tourism sector.
“Visitors from Malindi and Mida Creek pass through here to take a break, and it is our Mtito Andei, but we lack public toilets. The money for construction is there, but the British are against construction, yet we are not using their money,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Mwakamsha Shombo, who said beach operators and members of the local community had fought for more than eight years to have a public toilet constructed at the site.
Shombo accused the investors of attempting to derail a development project that he said was intended to address a basic human need and improve sanitation at the popular tourist destination.
“We have fought for this project for many years, and it is a shame that some British investors are opposing a County Government project. The Kenya Wildlife Service has also given us a site for the project,” he said.
Another beach operator, Juma Karisa, thanked the Kilifi County Government for allocating funds for the project and said the proposed facility would benefit both the local community and thousands of tourists who visit the beach.
He condemned efforts to stop the project, describing the proposed public toilet as a human-interest development initiative that should not be derailed.
“We thank the government, and KWS has heard our pleas and allocated us funds and a site, but these investors are a thorn in our flesh. We will not allow them to derail us,” Karisa said.
The operators are now calling for the immediate commencement of construction, arguing that adequate sanitation facilities are essential to protecting public health, improving the visitor experience and safeguarding Garoda Beach’s reputation as a leading tourism destination.
