Three suppliers of products and services of an Italian tour operator in Watamu have approached a lawyer to claim alleged claims against the operator who allegedly closed the resort it managed in the Kenyan tourist town without notice.
The letter from the Malindi-based law firm 'Minyazi & Associates', refers to claims that allegedly amount to almost five thousand euro (Kes. 557,002) and relate to receivables owed by the seafood supplier Abubakar Sea-Food, the fruit and vegetable supplier Abdulatif, and the Blue Sky Chemicals company that supplies swimming pool products.
In the letter sent to the Italian office of the Uvet company, which according to the creditors would be headed by the aforementioned tour operator, the lawyer of the three Kenyan businesses writes: "It is noted that the decision of a certain A.C., general manager of the management company, to leave the premises without notice and/or to settle supplier debts, was implemented with malice and recklessness, and can be interpreted as a total lack of intention to pay suppliers."
The resort in question would be the Twiga, which was actually being managed by the 'Settemari' brand, part of the Milan-based tour operator, and which was closed as is usually done at the end of the tourist season, between late March and early April. Indeed, Uvet still has the Twiga Resort in its online catalogue, but if you try to book for the new season (July, August) no availability is given.