Mombasa’s Bella Vista Night Club hit by attempted attack

MOMBASA NIGHTSPOT HIT BY ALLEGED TERRORISTS
The Moi Avenue based Bella Vista Night Club and Restaurant in Mombasa was hit last evening by what has been described as both gunfire and an explosion. While details remain sketchy at this stage, information has been trickling in since 10 pm last evening that at least one person, probably one of the security guards outside the venue, may have died of his injuries while several others were rushed by emergency services, foremost the St. Johns Ambulance Services and the Kenya Red Cross, to various hospitals for treatment.
Added information sent in speaks of two or three men, driving up to the Bella Vista parking, were seen arguing with the guard at the security checkpoint where they apparently tried to sneak through, but when stopped for the now mandatory checks in place at literally all public places and venues, a struggle ensued before shots were fired and an explosion heard.
Said a regular coast tourism source: If it is true the guard died while trying to stop them from getting inside he is a hero in my book before continuing This is of course bad for coast tourism but I also must say that the security measures which were put in place are working, although there is not much one can do in a situation like this but to keep those with bad intentions as far away from the intended venue as possible.
Other sources have sent in details that at least one fire arm was recovered by security personnel which arrived at the scene as soon as the alarm was raised, but in view of the ongoing situation and considering that only 4 hours have passed since the incident, no further information has been forthcoming from any other regular and reliable sources in Mombasa.
The incident comes on the same day as the coast tourism industry has expressed their concerns over forward bookings to government, blaming a softening market on the continued uncertainty over the elections dates, which is for anyones guess at present, either late this year or as late as March 2013, going by previous announcements made in Nairobi by leading politicians. We urge government to end this uncertainty over the polling dates and make a final announcement, so that at least until then business can continue without tour operators starting to pull back from the earliest possible date in August to December to March next year. It is not a responsible way of doing things and besides, government ows it to us citizens to set an election date and then we can get on with things the same source who provided the initial tip off on the evenings event said.
This correspondent is set to visit the coast from next week onwards on a long planned fact finding mission, which will go ahead nevertheless, to both express support to tourism businesses in Mombasa and also for not ever letting terror get in the way of life as it should be. Watch this space.