The government announced Monday it had banned swimming in public beaches across the country beyond 5:30 pm.
Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya also banned swimming of individuals who are drunk.
It’s not clear how one will be detected to be drunk before swimming.
Mvurya said there is a multi-agency team from relevant agencies that have been instructed to enforce the ban in the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria.
He spoke at Kongo Beach in Kwale County.
He warned that the officers will start a crackdown on unseaworthy boats, enforce proper use of life jackets and inspect the jackets’ standards.
He said the ministry is aware of some beach operators using unsafe vessels due to high numbers of holidaymakers.
This follows an incident at Pirates Beach in Mombasa where two people were killed after their boat capsized
One of the victims is still in the Intensive Care Unit in Mombasa while the rest were rescued with slight injuries.
