Chairperson of the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund (SASDF) George Kithi, Tsavo golf course director Julius Kihara and project coordinator Noni Mbugus at the project site at Kalongoni village in Shakahola, Kilifi County. Photo by Ben Okweingoti. 
By Ben Okweingoti.
Shakahola in Kilifi County is poised for a major economic transformation following the launch of a multi-million-shilling golf and hospitality project expected to create jobs, boost tourism and attract fresh investments to the region.
The Tsavo Golf Course project at Kalongoni village will feature an 18-hole golf course spread across 200 acres, alongside accommodation and hospitality facilities, a swimming pool, tennis courts and camping sites.
An additional 600 acres has been earmarked for a cultural centre and other complementary developments as investors seek to tap into Kilifi’s expansive land, favourable climate and growing tourism potential.
Project director Julius Kihara said the idea was conceived after he attended the Kilifi County Investment Conference in Vipingo, where he interacted with officials involved in the Special Economic Zone initiative.
Kihara said the conference convinced him that Kilifi offered favourable conditions for an investment that could combine tourism, agriculture and employment creation.
«“I attended the Kilifi Investment Conference that was held at Vipingo and somehow, I met the CEO of the Special Economic Zone and I told him I wanted to invest here in Kilifi,” Kihara said.»
He said Kilifi’s abundant land, favourable climate and hospitable communities presented a major opportunity for investors.
The project has already generated employment for local residents, with Kihara saying about 200 people from the surrounding communities are currently engaged in various activities.
He added that the developers had spent Sh20 million on bush clearing, with most of the work being undertaken by local residents.
“We plan to improve infrastructure in the nearby villages as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility,” Kihara said.
The development has also attracted the attention of golfers and prospective investors after the developers organised a golf tournament to market Shakahola as an emerging investment destination.
Project coordinator Noni Mbuggus said the facility was expected to attract both local and international visitors, including tourists travelling along the SGR network.
“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 during the early stages of construction.
“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 help diversify the county’s tourism products while creating employment opportunities, particularly for young people and women.
Kabani said the development would also increase accommodation capacity and stimulate economic activity in surrounding communities.
Residents of Kalongoni have welcomed the project, expressing optimism that it will improve livelihoods and open up new opportunities for the community.
Resident Stephen Karisa said locals were consulted before the project commenced and were 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,” Karisa said.
He said residents were particularly hopeful that the project would create jobs and support improvements at Kalongoni Primary School.
Another resident, Loice Kazungu Nyale, said the project could provide an important platform for skilled young people in the area to secure employment.
“We have young people here who have trained in different fields, and if they are employed, we as parents will also benefit,” Nyale said.
Nyale, however, urged the developers to extend their support to local women engaged in farming by providing water pipes and agricultural machinery to improve food production.
Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund (SASDF) chairman George Kithi, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, said the government was committed to supporting investors willing to develop regions with untapped economic potential.
Kithi said such investments were critical in creating employment and opening up new economic opportunities for Kenyans.
The Tsavo Golf Course project is expected to place Shakahola on the tourism and investment map while creating a new economic hub for the surrounding communities.
The developers say they intend to ensure that local residents remain key beneficiaries of the jobs, infrastructure improvements and business opportunities expected to arise from the project.
