"Growing up as a kid from Buxton, my friends and I used to go swimming at Madhubaha and other areas along the Tudor Creek and in those days there were a bevy of activities that went on along the creek that made it lively. From fishing, to sailing and the frequent swimming galas that used to happen. Sadly, that is not the case anymore…"

Hamisi Mwaguya, the founding partner of The East African Ocean Festival, expressed these sentiments on Saturday, August 20th, at the Fort Jesus Museums grounds. He addressed a small gathering of stakeholders, service providers, partners, and would-be participants in this year's festival, which is slated for mid-October.

TEAOF Founding Partner Mr. Hamisi Mwaguya awards a participant in the swimming competition at the pre-festival event last Saturday at Fort Jesus Museum, Old Town, Mombasa. Photo: TEAOF

Mwaguya was reminiscing of times when the Tudor Creek (which runs from the Makupa course way to the west, passing under the Nyali Bridge, moving east to the open Indian ocean, past the old harbor, Fort Jesus, and the Mombasa Hospital) was a vibrant and lively ecosystem that consisted of a thriving mangrove forest, active fisheries and maritime industries, tourism, and water sports activities, among other socioeconomic activities.

"The East African Ocean Festival is a platform for collaboration among stakeholders in the ocean and blue economy space. We are working with blue cities, to revitalize ocean centric economic activities. We have partnered with the Mombasa County Government to host the inaugural event in October, where we will showcase the opportunities in the ocean." Said Mr. Mwaguya.

On this day, TEAOF was conducting a dry run of the activities scheduled for the three-day event, which will take place from October 18th to 20th. Jet ski racing, sailing competitions, kayak racing, swimming competitions, and other ocean-centric competitions and activities were being showcased for the event's stakeholders and partners.

Youth participating in jet ski and sailing competitions at the Tudor Creek during the pre-festival event at Old Town, Mombasa. Photo: TEAOF

Various members from Mombasa Beach Management Units and Kilifi Dhow races participated. The Tudor Creek BMUs were represented by Salim Amin Salim, the Tudor Creek Beach Management Units Association chairperson, who lauded the initiative to bring the event to Mombasa.

"Tudor creek has for a long time been left behind and lost recognition as a vital area in terms of Mombasa's economic and social standing. Hosting this event, I believe, will shine a light on the opportunities, the talent, and the cultural heritage of the community along the creek, be it in swimming or any other ocean sports." Said Salim Amin Salim as he addressed the small gathering.

In addition to the local communities along the creek, TEAOF has formed partnerships with government agencies and hotels along the creek, including the City Blue Hotel, English Point Marina, and The Tamarind Dhow.

"We want to collaborate with everybody willing to take part in this endeavor. So far, we have partnered with most of the hotels along Tudor Creek. Apart from the county Government, we have also partnered with the National Museums of Kenya, The Kenya Navy, The Kenya Coast Guards Services, The Kenya Maritime Authority, and so many other partners that we are working with." Mr. Mwaguya added.

Speaking on the gap he felt needed to be filled regarding the ocean and blue economy space along Tudor Creek, Mwaguya highlighted the lack of investment and deliberate effort to utilize the ocean resources along the creek and Mombasa in general.

"We are an island city, we are a port city, but if you walk across the bridge, seated at English Point Marina, or Fort Jesus, you would notice that there aren't many activities along the channel. So we found Tudor Creek as an area that has the potential to create sustainable economic development. The creek connects five out of the six subcounties of Mombasa, Nyali, Kisauni, Changamwe, Mvita, and Jomvu. So there is an opportunity for ferry services, ocean sports, mangrove restorations, and exploration of the attractions on the creek, and we are seeking to work with anybody willing to help revitalize water fronts within East Africa." Mwaguya said.

Youth participating in the swimming competition during the pre-festival event. Photo: TEAOF

Stephanie Maseki, the project manager for the event, spoke on the event's significance as an important opportunity for the youth of Mombasa to showcase their abilities and find ways to promote and encourage them to engage in productive social and economic activities away from the scourge of drugs and substance abuse, among other vices and activities that negatively reflect on the county's youth.

"The scale at which young people in Mombasa take part in ocean-related activities has dwindled over the years. With the rise in population in the county, the young people are many, so what are they involving themselves with? If these young people had something to do every weekend, they would have something to do and stay away from activities that lead them astray, such as drug abuse and such," said Maseki.

Maseki further insisted on the opportunities the youth will access during the event, mentioning the number of people expected to attend.

Stephanie Maseki, (left) and her organizing team pose for a photo at the pre-festival event. Photo: TEAOF

"This event is bound to create a lot of opportunities because, as you can imagine, an event that targets having four to five hundred thousand people over that weekend, what do you think it will do to the economy of the county?" she insisted.

The East African Ocean Festival is an initiative that seeks to showcase the economic, social, and cultural heritage of coastal cities along East Africa. The event will see participation from countries such as Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mozambique, among others, that have oceans or other large water bodies within the region.

"This event is not a one-person drive. I may have come up with the idea, but there is a board behind this initiative. And we are working together with everybody who is interested in revitalizing waterfronts in East Africa," said Mr. Mwaguya, insisting that "the first one is in Mombasa. Who knows, the next one could be in Dar es Salaam or Uganda. But we have to start."