By F, KNA
The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, through the State Department for Tourism, held a public consultation forum at the Uasin Gishu County headquarters to gather stakeholder feedback on the proposed Kenya National Tourism Strategy (2025–2030).
The forum brought together representatives from county governments within the North Rift Economic Bloc including Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Samburu, Turkana and West Pokot alongside tourism practitioners, private sector players, youth groups and conservation stakeholders.
Speaking during the session, Ishmael Chelanga, State Department for Tourism appreciated the participants for turning up to contribute to the development of the new strategy, which will guide the sector’s growth over the next five years.
He noted that the strategy, developed in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), is anchored in law under the Tourism Act, Cap 381, which mandates the Cabinet Secretary to publish a new national tourism strategy every five years.
“We are here because the law requires that every five years, a new strategy is formulated and published to guide the tourism sector. The previous strategy ended in 2024, and we now need a clear roadmap to position Kenya as a competitive and sustainable tourism destination by 2030,” said Chelanga.
He outlined the government’s vision to make Kenya one of Africa’s top tourism destinations, targeting growth from 2.4 million international visitors in 2024 to 7.5 million by 2030, and increasing annual tourism revenues from Sh452 billion to Sh1.2 trillion.
The sector also aims to create over one million additional jobs and raise the average length of tourist stays from eight to twelve nights.
Chelanga emphasised the strategy’s six guiding principles: service excellence, economic inclusion, regional complementarity, tourism’s multiplier effect, stakeholder collaboration and responsible tourism.
He noted that tourism’s benefits extend far beyond hotels and parks, creating jobs in transport, agriculture, and hospitality.
He further highlighted the government’s focus on product diversification, infrastructure investment, and youth inclusion in tourism, citing emerging niches such as agri-tourism, sports, wellness and cultural tourism.
Chelanga also challenged county governments and cities like Eldoret to invest in modern conference and exhibition facilities to tap into the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) market.
“Tourism is a service industry that thrives on quality, collaboration, and sustainability. We must all work together to deliver excellent experiences and build Kenya’s competitiveness on the global stage,” he said.
Participants from across the North Rift urged the ministry to ensure that the Kenya National Tourism Strategy (2025–2030) is implemented effectively rather than remaining a paper policy.
Philip Barno, Chairman of the Uasin Gishu Civil Society in charge of Environment, Climate Change and Tourism, lauded the ministry for engaging local stakeholders but called for continued collaboration and follow-up.
“We are happy that you are bringing good things, but I hope they are not things that will go and stay on the shelf. We expect you back to sit with the county and stakeholders for awareness, capacity building and tourism publicity. Let’s reduce the talks and start moving,” said Barno.
Echoing his sentiments, Joyce Kebenei from the NOREB Secretariat noted that many private sector players still struggle to find funding and partners to implement tourism projects.
“We have good presentations and strategies, but without proper budgeting, they will gather dust. Let’s move from talks to action,” she emphasized.
Naftali Biwot, the Regional Manager of the Tourism Fund, urged closer collaboration between national and county governments to ensure inclusivity and effective implementation.
Local resident Cynthia Rebecca highlighted the impact of political instability on tourism, saying election-related tensions often scare away visitors.
“Every election season affects tourism. Even the slightest sign of instability deters tourists. Political stability is key if we’re to achieve our goals,” she said.
From Nandi County, Mike Bett raised concerns about equitable job distribution and internship opportunities for youth within the MICE sector, noting that inadequate data on training and job placements limits growth.
Meanwhile, Ezrah Jones from Nandi County called for better policy alignment and enhanced digital marketing to strengthen Kenya’s tourism competitiveness. He urged counties to adopt digital tourism platforms and harmonize the Tourism Act (Cap 381) with county frameworks to streamline funding and licensing.
Representing persons with disabilities, Philip Kering appealed for greater inclusion and accessibility in tourism infrastructure.
“We need to ensure that persons with disabilities are part of this programme. Tourism infrastructure must be designed to accommodate everyone,” he said.
The Ministry’s team included officials from the Tourism Regulatory Authority, Tourism Promotion Fund, Tourism Fund and the Kenya Wildlife Service, who participated in the discussions and collected feedback through presentations and questionnaires.
The Uasin Gishu forum is part of a series of nationwide consultations aimed at ensuring the National Tourism Strategy (2025–2030) reflects diverse regional priorities and aligns with Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Stakeholders and members of the public are encouraged to submit their written comments either in hard copy or via email to ps@tourism.go.ke copied to pstourism2018@gmail.com.
