Pinewood Beach Resort MD Calls For Justice After Hotel Attack

Owners of the Diani based Pinewood Beach Resort and Spa have decried harassment from armed goons, during several attempts to raid and possibly take over the hotel.

Dozens of armed goons have been staging attacks at the facility, attacking both the hotel staff and guests, including some international tourists in an incident captured on CCTV footage.

The goons were armed with crude weapons including machetes and sticks when they launched the attack both from the main entrance and the beach, in a well coordinated ‘operation’.

The hotel owner and Managing Director Alnoor Kanji has linked the incidents to a receiver manager appointed by the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB)- despite an existing court order barring him from taking over the facility, until the matter is heard and determined.

“Violent attacks that endanger our lives and hinder our ability to safely operate our business cannot become commonplace. This should never happen again to any place of business in this country,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

The High Court in Mombasa set January 9, 2024 as the mention date for a suit by the hotel, challenging the intended takeover by KCB bank. It was issued by Justice Peter Mulwa.

“We fear that despite attaining a clear court injunction to prevent any party from taking over, they will continue to unlawfully to forcefully gain possession,” he said.

Kanji alleged that some of the attackers were security guards from Winstar Security.

“Their goal was to destroy, pillage and kill,” he said of the November 17 incident.

“The attackers overwhelmed us from the main gate and beach. They beat our staff and robbed our guests in broad daylight.”

A similar incident had occurred in early August at the facility.

“We are grateful that no one was killed,” he said.

He is now calling on security officers to apprehend the armed goons and bring to book those behind their illegal actions.

Further, he has asked tourism stakeholders “to speak up against rogue acts of terror that aim to destabilize our industries.”

“This is just a case of impunity. Why can’t they just follow the rule of law? Can’t they respect the court orders?” one of the hotel officials, who did not want to be named, asked.

Deborah Cartwright, a tourist from the United Kingdom, who is also a nurse practitioner, offered help to injured staff during the recent attack.

“I attended to a security guard who had a deep right sided head wound,” she said.

Several staff members sustained injuries during the incident, which was also reported to local police in Diani.

According to court documents, Kamal Anatroy Bhatt is the official receiver manager of the hotel.

However, On September 13, the High Court sitting in Mombasa suspended its notice to appoint a receiver manager to run the facility, over a sh5 billion loan for constructing the English point Marina.

Justice Kizito Magare restrained the receiver manager (Kamal Anantroy Bhatt) from taking over or in any way disposing, selling, or affecting Pinewood Beach Resort and Spa located in Kwale/Galu/Kinondo registered in the names of hotelier Alnoor Kanji and Gulshan Abdulmalik Kanji.