Hotels in Kisumu picks up in terms of business five months after the Handshake.

 The General Manager Imperial Hotels in Kisumu Michael Kamau.He says business has picked in a number of hotels in Kisumu five months after the handshake-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

August 22, 2018.

Hotels in Kisumu picks up in terms of business five months after the Handshake.

A Number of Hotels in Kisumu have picked up in terms of business since the infamous handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga five months ago.

This is contrary to how the situation was as from August 2017 to February this year when business went down during the electioneering period and thereafter before the handshake that took place on March 9 this year.

Speaking to this writer at his office in Kisumu, Imperial Hotels General Manager Michael Kamau said the period between August last year and February this year were eight painful months for the hotel Industry in Kisumu city.

He says at least the handshake that occurred between the two leaders has greatly helped a lot by now bringing a conducive atmosphere for hoteliers within the Lake side city to thrive in terms of business.

“I can surely say that five months after the infamous handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga, the hotels in Kisumu ours included have picked up in terms of business and we thank the two leaders for engaging in the handshake which has greatly help in cooling the political temperatures that were witnessed during the electioneering period,” Kamau says.

He says as a hotel within the Kisumu City, it lost about 800 million within the period of eight months which is from August last year to February this year since all the bookings were cancelled and it was operating on a zero occupancy for eight months.

He says they have now grown from 20 percent occupancy to about 80 percent five months after the handshake. 

He says a number of meetings convened by both Government and Non-Governmental Organizations are being held in Kisumu and this has greatly helped in the hotels to grow in terms of businesses after the handshake.

“I can say that the confidence is coming back after the handshake and I believe that within two to three year we may be able to recover what we lost during the electioneering period,” he adds.

He says the tourism industry has also begun to boom hence this is a clear sign that good things are there for the hotels in terms of business.

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