- Mutua addressed the press on Friday at Amboseli National Park during the commemoration of World Wildlife Day.
- World Wildlife Day gives an opportunity for the world to reflect on everyone’s responsibility to protect the magnificent diversity of life on the planet
Foreign Affairs CS Alfred Mutua has asked for more efforts in marketing Kenya abroad as one of the best tourist destinations.
Mutua shocked those present when he revealed that many abroad know nothing about Kenya and what it has to offer.
“I went to Saudi Arabia, I went to Qatar, I met people I asked about Kenya, they do not know anything about Kenya. They are going to other countries,” Mutua said.
Mutua said countries such as Tanzania were doing better.
“We have to change the way we do things. People have to wake up and sleep knowing Kenya so that those people when they come here with those tourist monies we are able to conserve and do proper work,” Mutua said.
Mutua addressed the press on Friday at Amboseli National Park during the commemoration of World Wildlife Day.
World Wildlife Day gives an opportunity for the world to reflect on everyone’s responsibility to protect the magnificent diversity of life on the planet.
The theme is a partnership for wildlife conservation.
During the event presided over by Tourism and Wildlife CS Peninah Malonza some jumbos were named and adopted in an effort to champion their conservation.
The drive will be undertaken during Magical Kenya Tembo Naming Festival, a programme geared towards conserving jumbos in the country.
Kenya's first national wildlife census in 2021 indicated the country was home to 36,280 elephants, representing a 21 per cent growth from 2014 when poaching was at its peak.
This year's naming of jumbos and planting of trees come at a time when drought is ravaging various parts of the country.
Mutua said there was a need to ensure that Kenya is at par with other countries as far as tourism is concerned.
“We go to other countries that have nothing compared to what we have here and they are getting 10, 20, 100 million tourists,” Mutua said.
According to Wildlife and Tourism CS Peninah Malonza, most international tourists that visited the country in 2022 were from the United States of America.
Speaking recently during the 2022 Tourism performance report, Malonza said the US represented 16 per cent of the total international tourists.
"Out of the 30 source markets, the US took the top position with 209,360 tourists contributing to 16 per cent of the total arrivals," she said.
Malonza said the second source of tourists last year was Uganda, with 151,121 representing 12 per cent of total international tourists.
She said the United Kingdom came third with 131,526 representing 10 per cent of international tourists who came in last year.
Tanzania was the fourth largest market with 123,836 tourists.
India came in fifth with 83,106 tourists while Germany brought in 53,498 tourists.
Rwanda brought in 48,232 tourists, Somalia 40,133, Ethiopia 36,581 and South Sudan came in tenth with 35,760 tourists.
Other top African countries that toured Kenya last year were Nigeria, South Africa, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Ghana.
Kenya also received tourists from France, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, China, Spain, Sweden and many more.
The foreign affairs CS said his ministry will be working very closely with the ministry of tourism and wildlife so that we can partner and market Kenya.
Mutua at the same time decried the loss of wildlife due to the ongoing drought ravaging various parts of the country.
He said Kenya like other parts of Africa is being impacted negatively by the ongoing drought ravaging various parts of the country.
Mutua said Africa contributes less impact with regard to pollution.