A 200-acre golf and hospitality project in Shakahola, Kilifi County, is set to create employment, promote tourism and attract new investments to the region.
The Tsavo Golf Course project will include a golf course, accommodation and hospitality facilities, swimming pool, tennis courts, camping sites and a cultural centre.
Project director Julius Kihara said the idea was conceived after he attended an investment conference in Vipingo, where he interacted with officials involved in the Special Economic Zone initiative.
Kihara said Kilifi’s abundant land, favourable climate and welcoming residents presented an opportunity to develop a project that would combine tourism, agriculture and employment creation.
"Kilifi has very good land, very good climate and very hospitable people. I was advised to look at how we could improve tourism and create employment, especially in agriculture,” Kihara said.
He said the project had attracted interest from golfers and potential investors after the developers used a golf tournament to market the area as an investment destination.
Kihara added that the project was being developed in collaboration with local landowners, with financial transactions supervised through Equity Bank to enhance transparency and build confidence among those involved.
Project coordinator Noni Mbuggus said the development was expected to attract visitors, including tourists travelling through the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), who could spend time playing golf and enjoying other recreational facilities.
“We are going to have a lot of traffic, with people coming by SGR to play golf, swim and enjoy the other facilities,” Mbuggus said.
She said local residents had already benefited from employment opportunities during the construction phase.
“When we were starting the construction around the river, we used people from the community,” she said.
Kilifi County Director of Tourism Mary Kabani said the project would provide employment opportunities for young people and women while diversifying the county’s tourism products.
She said the development would also provide accommodation facilities and contribute to the economic growth of the surrounding communities.
Residents of Kalongoni have welcomed the project, saying they expect it to improve livelihoods and create opportunities for local people.
Abdallah Karisa Charo, a resident, said the community was involved before the project began and was informed about its objectives.
“We received this project with open arms because we were involved before it started. We were told that it would help the local community,” Charo said.
He said residents expected employment opportunities and support towards improving Kalongoni Primary School.
Another resident, Loice Kazungu Nyale, said the project would give local youth an opportunity to utilise their skills while benefiting families in the area.
“We have young people here who have trained in different fields, and if they are employed, we as parents will also benefit,” Nyale said.
She, however, appealed to the developers to support local women involved in farming by providing water pipes and agricultural machinery to improve food production.
The project is expected to position Shakahola as a new tourism and investment destination while ensuring that surrounding communities benefit from the opportunities created by the development.
