coastweek.com

NETA PEAL - JOURNALIST

THE 'VOICE' OF KENYA TOURISM

She was also a regular and leading contributor to
Coastweek - covering all aspects of coast society

Coastweek -- Well known coast writer Neta Peal has died in Sussex, United Kingdom, on Monday this week after celebrating her 88th birthday on Saturday, November 22, 2008.

Many of her immediate family had earlier been present at her bedside for the birthday celebration.

She had long been a prominent journalist in her time with the Kenya press.

In the early 'sixties she established the Nation and Taifa Leo newspapers Coast office along [the former] Kilindini Road, Mombasa.

For many years' she contributed articles on tourism to the national press as public relations officer for the Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association.

Coastweek -- coast
writer Neta Peal.

She was also a regular and leading contributor to Coastweek covering all aspects of coastal society.

Fondly remembered: we shall miss her kindness, her candour, her cheerful courage and her good nature.

[S.D.A. & A.B.G.G. Coastweek Mombasa]

Her son ROGER PEAL wrote from Sussex, U.K.

I am so sorry to let you know that Neta passed away early this Monday morning.

It was silent and peaceful.

On Saturday afternoon when I saw her she was very weak, it was her 88th birthday that day and her room was full of flowers and cards.

I read her the front page of Coastweek which she enjoyed.

She missed you all, Coastweek and Mombasa terribly and we her children would like to thank you all for all the support and care you gave her over these many years.

Would it be possible to put a mention in Coastweek from us her children, letting everyone know of our loss and thanking all those people in Mombasa, the coast tourist industry, her friends and others who have over the years loved and supported her.

Many thanks to you all, love from Ann, Malcolm and Roger Peal, U.K.

.

Mohammed Hersi, Chairman Kenya Association of Hotel keepers and
Caterers Coast and Skål Kenya National President, wrote:

I have learned with deep sadness the demise of our dear and long time friend Neta Peal.

I can recall when she was reluctant to leave Mombasa as this is the town she had lived happily for most of her adult life.

It took a lot of convincing and pleading by both her friends and family for her to seek better medical treatment abroad.

It is with profound sadness that Neta passed away on Monday morning having celebrated her 88th birthday just two days ago.

Neta saw Kenya tourism grown from nothing in the late 60's to its highs just before the last general elections in 2007.

Even at her advanced age she still found time to write about tourism until her fingers were not able to do what she did best, type.

I also recall Neta with her tape recorder trying to get the best position so that she did not miss anything important that had been said.

She was good in quoting every speaker verbatim - hence no one ever complained of being misquoted.

Even when ill health was slowly getting her down Neta was still able to send her best friend Salim Rehimtullah with her tape recorder and the following week you get everything reported in Coastweek as if she had been personally present at the function ... Neta was full of confidence, gentle and kind.

It is obvious that she was a beauty in her young days and I recall one day she told me that she used to make heads turn and I would laugh my heart off.

During my tenure as Skål Kenya coast president she never failed to cover my events and I owe my success to her.

Indeed KAHC awarded her two years ago the 'Personality of the year' award for her contribution to tourism.

Neta Was Leading Promoter For Kenya Tourism Industry At Coast Since 1960s.

To say that Neta loved Mombasa and Kenya is an understatement.

She used to express her frustrations when she found it difficult to get her work permit renewed - not because she was earning anything out of the coverage she was giving tourism, as she was doing all that for the love for Kenya.

In fact, I would suggest that Neta was often more of a 'Kenyan' than many who are Kenyan by birth.

We shall indeed miss her smile and generosity.

On behalf of the Kenya association of Hotel keepers and Caterers I would like to covey our heartfelt condolences to her family.

She was equally very close to many of us in Kenya's coast tourism.

Kenya Tourism Minister Hon. Najib Balala wrote:

My condolences to the family of Neta Peal.

She was a great journalist, highly respected not only in the tourism sector but even in the political scene.

She was also close friend of the late Tom Mboya.

May her soul rest in eternal peace.

Councillor Kuldip R. Sondhi, past chairman Mombasa
and Coast Tourist Association wrote:

Neta Peal was the voice for Kenyan tourism.

I received the news of her death with great sorrow.

I had known her from preindependence days.

She worked all for all the leading newspapers in this country and was known to be a dedicated journalist of high professional standard and unimpeachable integrity.

In her hey days she was known to all the top politicians of this country and particularly Tom Mboya who had a high regards for her.

This lone 'mzungu' woman with a pad and pencil and striking good looks was not to be easily thwarted when she was after a story.

It is to her unending credit that she never used any of these "high" connections to promote herself.

She stood by the power of her written word and the observations that followed from there.

The death of her husband some 40 years back changed her life.

She settled down at the Coast and gradually became the voice for Kenyan tourism.

She was also for many years the Public Relation Officer for MCTA with her fearless professional standards she would unerringly point to us all the shortages that affect the life of citizens, such as uncollected garbage and chronic water shortages - she herself hardly received any water as she lived on the top floor of a three-storey building.

She talked about electricity, security, pothole roads and the power of tourism as the country top exchange earner.

With age her frailty became obvious but she did not let this deter her from attending meetings, making remarks and public observations.

With her passing away a certain style of old fashioned journalism came to a close. May God rest her soul in eternal peace.

Walter Reif, chairman Pubs, Entertainment And
Restaurants Association, Mombasa.

Neta Peal will be missed. We are very sorry to hear this sad news.

May her soul rest in eternal peace.

Marlene Reid, Chairman of the Friends of
Fort Jesus, Mombasa, wrote:

Some very sad news was the death of Neta Peal, in UK at the age of 88.

Neta was almost an institution in Mombasa, contributing over the years as a prominent Mombasa journalist.

It was rare to open Coastweek and not see her name and one can say that this is the end of an era.

There are not many like her and she will be sorely missed by all who knew her, she was deservedly a very much respected lady.

Our sincere condolences to her family and friends.

Prominent Mombasa lawyer, the late JOHN BOWYER wrote:

We All Thought Neta Peal Was Indestructible !

What very sad news.

And very unexpected, too: we all thought that Neta, like her tiny buzz box of a car, was indestructible !

Good night, Neta, Sleep well.

Her son ROGER PEAL wrote from Sussex, U.K.

Dear Coastweek and Readers: We would like to thank you all for the many kind words and sympathy in memory of our mother Neta Peal who recently passed away.

A service was held by her family on the 17th December in Worthing to celebrate Neta's life.

The many tributes to Neta helped to uplift us all at this sad time by the knowledge that Neta had so many good friends both at Coastweek and among your worldwide readers.

We wish you all well for the future and thank you again for all the love and support you gave to Neta over the many years.

Ann, Malcolm and Roger, U.K.

roger.peal@birsemetro.com