Nyeri Governor, Dr Mutahi Kahiga has lauded the Korean Government for its pledge to support the construction of the Baden Powell Centre of Excellence (BCPE).
Kahiga said the establishment of the center will not only immortalize the name of Powell, (the founder of the Scout movement in the world) but also put the county squarely on the global limelight as a leading scout tourism destination.
The county boss disclosed that his office had already held fruitful discussions with a delegation from Korea on the proposed construction of the BCPE and plans were under way to fast-track the project.
The landmark project will be funded by the Republic of Korea through the Korea Scouts Parliamentary Association (KSPA).
“I was honoured to join the Korean Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNEP and UN-Habitat, H.E. Kang Hyung-shik, during a bilateral engagement with a delegation from the Republic of Korea at the Korean Embassy in Nairobi. I appreciate the Republic of Korea for its continued partnership and commitment to working with the County Government of Nyeri.
I also commend the World Scouts Parliamentary Union (WSPU) Kenya for its continued collaboration with Nyeri and its efforts to promote Scout Tourism in our County,” posted Kahiga on his Facebook page.
The County Government of Nyeri has already designated the AMS land along the Nyeri–Nanyuki/Naromoru Highway as the location for the establishment of the BCPE. The site was identified as a fitting location owing to Nyeri’s unique historical connection to Lord Powell.
During yesterday’s deliberations, it was also agreed to explore the possibility of opening market opportunities for Nyeri’s agricultural produce in Korea.
The talks also delved in the promotion of the local tourism potential in the county and showcasing Nyeri is a preferred tourist destination in the world.
Kahiga underscored the need for continued partnership with Korea and said the bilateral talks presented an ideal setting to create new avenues for tourism, trade, investment, youth engagement and international cooperation
“The establishment of the Centre presents a significant opportunity to position Nyeri as a leading destination for Scout Tourism, attracting visitors, scouts and other stakeholders from Kenya and across the world to experience the places where Baden-Powell lived, worked and spent his final years. We also explored opportunities for Nyeri to establish a twin-city/sister-city partnership with a city in the Republic of Korea, which would strengthen cultural, economic, educational and people-to-people exchanges between the two regions,” pointed out Kahiga.
“Importantly, our engagement will also seek to expand markets for Nyeri’s agricultural products, including tea, coffee and avocados, as we deepen our partnership with the Republic of Korea.
The County has immense potential for tourism, with opportunities ranging from hiking and nature experiences to game drives, alongside our rich agricultural heritage in tea, coffee and macadamia production.” he added.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) formally designated Nyeri County as the official global scouting city of the world in March 2024.
In addition, the Paxtu Museum- a four roomed cottage at the Outspan hotel in Nyeri which was the last home of Lord Powell-was designated as the world’s Girl Guides and Scouts Heritage site.
This proclamation was made on March 24 2024 at the Lord Baden Powell gardens, where the declaration elevating the county to the new global status was signed by the county government of Nyeri and officials from the World Scout Committee.
During the event, the county was also issued with honorary plaques to commemorate the elevation to its new status.
During the event, Kahiga said the county government will work closely with the scouting bodies both locally and internationally to develop the movement which boasts of over 70 million members worldwide.
“This is a dream come true considering the uniqueness of this place in that it is the final resting place of Lord Baden Powell and his wife Lady Olave Powell who began the scouting movement. As a county government, we are very excited that we have been able to sign this pact between ourselves, the Girl Guide Movement and the World Scouting Movement to ensure that we develop scouting to higher levels,” stated the county boss.
On his part, the Chairman of the World Scout Committee, Daniël Corsen, said the designation was done as a way of honouring the founders of the scouting movement.
Mr Corsen said also elevation of Nyeri to the global scouting city of the world was one of the movement’s way of acknowledging Kenya’s contribution to the furtherance of scouting in the world.
“We are here to not only honour the legacy of the founders of the scouting movement and their final resting place but also to honour the county of Nyeri. Kenya is an important member of the World Scout Movement with over 4 million members. Our presence here also shows the commitment that Kenya has in honouring the past and its commitment towards the future of scouting,” said Corsen.
Nyeri hosts the Paxtu Museum and Lord Powell gardens which forms the final resting place of the scout movement’s founder and his wife Olave St Claire Soames who also served as World Chief Guide.
By Samuel Maina
