For more than three months, the residents
of Eldoret, in western Kenya, have been host to more
than 1,000 Somali delegates attending the ongoing peace
talks. The delegates include warlords, politicians,
intellectuals, elders and representatives of civil society
from Somalia or living outside the country. Factional
differences have hindered the talks, but for Eldoret's
business people and hotel owners, business is booming.
Smokers
"Things are actually doing very well,
this is a windfall business," Eric Ochoo, operations
manager of the Sirikwa Hotel says. "The turnover
is good, it has been 100% occupancy for the last three
months." But he says that the rooms where the delegates
have been staying will need redecorating."The rooms
have been messed up. Maybe 60% of the Somali delegates
are smokers - even the non-smoking floor has been tampered
with.
"After their departure, we will actually
need to make some service so we can bring the rooms
back to the normal status." "The Somali delegates
- some are good, and some are not so good," he
says.
Weddings
The BBC's Wanyama Chebusiri met many Somali
delegates at a discotheque in Eldoret. They say they
are enjoying their stay. "The climate is quite
OK, people are very hospitable, they welcome us very
nicely," one of the customers, Abdullahi Mohammed,
from Mogadishu, says. But most Somalis are Muslims,
and doesn't Islam forbid them to go to bars and discos,
our correspondent asked?
The taxi trade is faring well in Eldoret "Yes...
but these people came from all over the world - they
came from Australia or America, so most of them are
westernised." The delegates' busy social life in
Eldoret has also led to a number of marriages with local
women. "It is not the first time. Kenyans and Somalis
are already married, they have good relations,"
Mr Mohammed says. Others in Eldoret hope the Somali
guests will stay as long as possible, for financial
reasons. "It has really increased my business,"
says Morris Abuto, a taxi driver.
"If they go, our business will go
down."
BBC
