Why Malindi Town is Known as Little Italy.

Why Malindi Town is Known as Little Italy and What Remains of the Town.

Introduction 

Malindi is a town on the northern Kenyan coast founded in the 14th century.  It is 120km northeast of Mombasa and known as Little Italy since the late 1960s.

The first Italians arrived in Malindi as engineers and scientists. It happened during the opening of the Italian-run Broglio Space Centre, now known as San Marco off the Kenyan Coast.  They fell in love with what they found soon word reached Italy about the pristine beaches, seafood, and good-natured inhabitants. 

By the 1970s, many Italians were settling in Malindi and went after opportunities in the tourism industry.  They opened hotels, restaurants, built beach villas and became great contributors to the economy.  The town is brimming with Italian restaurants such as Osteria restaurant, Bar-bar restaurant, hotels like the White elephant, Billionaires, villas like Scorpiovillas and Malaika house not forgetting the delis and gelato shops and pizzerias.

                 Photo courtesy: Hip hop live

Malindi Town

Being in Malindi would make you feel the Italian vibe if you have been to Italy.  The only difference is the humidity, palm trees and the salty scent of the Indian Ocean.

When you visit, you will realize even shop billboards and hotel menus include Italian translation. 

As the number of Italians grew, Italian became the town's lingua franca.  Most people speak Italian, from the taxi driver to the housekeeper, waiter, tuk-tuk driver, and the fisherman around the beach.  Even the locals who fancy working in the tourism sector in the town have to attend an Italian class.

There is a supermarket run by an Italian, who imports all stuff from Italy.  The items vary from jars of olive, wine, pasta also a fine selection of Parmigiano – Reggiano cheese, salami and Italian ham.

             Photo courtesy: Kenya Ujerumani

Occasionally you will spot old Italian ladies with young local men known as beach boys, old Italian men with young local women, or even young girls.  

The town has been facing racial favoritism.   By any chance, you are the only person black in a restaurant full of Italians; you will have to wait for them to get served first

. "there are many subtle ways black tourists are rendered invisible – something that is not unique to Malindi in Africa."  -  Journalist Ismail Einashe 

It always brought strife among the locals and authority because most times when they broke the laws they never get investigated since they are great investors.

Things have changed, the town has now deteriorated economically after the Al-Shabab attacks started and the Somali pirates kidnapped a foreign tourist.  Many sold their properties and left, but you will still spot one or two Italians around town. Most of them are residents, who made Kenya their home; the locals call them Kenya Kimbo as they have mastered Swahili and the local dialect Giriama.

      They say it is no longer little Italy after 2014, when it was caught up in a deep economic crisis, forcing most Italians not to travel. And those who had money preferred safe countries like Tanzania.

The Italians leaving is something that the locals regret despite the occasional complaints they had about them. 

They say that the future of tourism in Malindi is bright since only homeowners are leaving because of hiked taxes in Italy for those living in the Diaspora that's why they opted to go back home but investors are not leaving.

Despite the fallback, it is still a blissful place to relax and enjoy tucking into a delicious plate of crab linguine.  It's still the place to come on the Kenyan coast if you have a fetish for pizza or are greedy for gelato.