Diani — Fear has gripped staff at Pinewood Beach Resort and Spa in Diani, Kwale County, after several of their colleagues sustained injuries after an attack by armed goons.

The latest incident according to the hotel management is the second, that has risked crippling the business, currently hosting tens of tourists from across the world.

Guests were also not spared during the November 17 incident, with some losing valuables of unknown amounts.

Local police were forced to fire in the air to deescalate the situation, which left many injured.

In a statement on Sunday, the hotel owner and Managing Director Alnoor Kanji accused a receiver manager of Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) of being behind the violent attack.

"We are grateful that none was killed," he said of the November 17 attack that forced police to fire in the air, to restore peace and order.

"Without the protection of armed police and the courage of our staff, this may not have been the case. Tourist police had to intervene with gunfire while our staff were forced to fight the attackers head on."

The hotel is at the center of a legal dispute, as KCB seeks to take over its management, but has since been restrained by a High Court sitting in Mombasa, until the case challenging its intended move is heard and determined.

The High Court in Mombasa set January 9, 2024 as the mention date for the case. 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.

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.