The Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, Hon. Peninah Malonza, has today informed the Senate that her Ministry intends to hire local influencers to promote the tourism sector in the country. 

In her response to Senator Esther Okenyuri’s Question on why the ministry had hired Ms Naomi Campbell, a British Model, to act as the sector’s ambassador, CS Malonza informed the Senate that her Ministry has put in place measures to ensure that local influencers are involved in advocating Kenya as the leading tourism destination in Africa, adding that she has already contracted the services of Lupita Nyong’o, and Eddy Gathegi and Eliud Kipchoge.  

Below is how CS Peninah Malonza’s question time in the Senate Chamber unravelled earlier today: 

𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚 (𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝): Could the Cabinet Secretary state the number of cruise ships that have docked in Kenya since January 2022 and also state the number of those scheduled to dock by June 2023?

𝐂𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚: Since January 2022 to date, four cruise ships have landed in the Port of Mombasa bringing a total of 6,667 tourists to this country. 

𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚 (𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝): Could the Cabinet Secretary provide a schedule of cruise ships that were scheduled to dock in Kenya between January 2022 and June 2023 but cancelled their voyage or changed their destination from Kenya, stating the reasons for the cancellation or change? 

𝐂𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚: There was one cruise ship that was to dock in the Port of Mombasa in March 2023 for four to five days. This ship cancelled its voyage because of the demonstrations that were happening in the country.

𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚 (𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝): What measures have been put in place to market Kenya as a cruise tourist destination and to address the cancellations of voyages or the change of destinations from Kenya by cruise ships? 

𝐂𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚: We, as a Government, have put in place diversification of tour packages for the best Kenya experience for cruise tourists. We are also repositioning Magical Kenya as a premier brand to attract international tourists from diverse source markets. Besides, my Ministry is working in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport, Kenya Tourism Board, Kenya Ports Authority and other Government agencies in undertaking aggressive marketing of the new cruise terminal at the Port of Mombasa. 

𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚 (𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝): Could the CS tell the House what kind of a loss the Nation went through by the cancellation of the cruise ship that was scheduled to dock at Mombasa due to the demonstrations that were happening? 

𝐂𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚: The cruise ship that cancelled its docking in Mombasa was one of the medium-sized cruise ships with an average of below 1000 tourists. Therefore, we lost the number of tourists who would have visited our parks and historical sites. Above that, we also lost on the tourists who would have supported businesses of individuals such as curio shops. 

𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐠𝐨 (𝐔𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐮): How much did we lose by the cancellation of cruise ships docking at the Port of Mombasa? 

𝐂𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚: The loss that we underwent as a country for the one cruise ship was Ksh80 million besides the number of other losses. 

𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐣 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 (𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝): Tafadhali nukuu zile pesa ambazo uchumi wa Kenya umezikosa kwa sababu ya maandamano? 

𝐂𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚: Nitakaa chini na kuangalia pesa tulizopoteza katika kila sekta. Nitakapohitajika na kikao nitanukuu na kusema ni idadi gani. 

𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐨 (𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨): What is your Ministry’s policy on the issue of the geo-park in Baringo County? 

𝐂𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚: We have already placed our registration for the Geo Park in Baringo. We are waiting for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to approve us so that we can start this Geo Park. This will also see other counties coming on board for geo-park mapping. This is one area that is going to greatly open this country to tourists. 

𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐮𝐫𝐢 (𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝): What measures has the Ministry put in place to incorporate young people to promote domestic tourism? 

𝐂𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚: In February this year, we had the Youth Summit happening in Kenya at Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) where I partnered with youths who became ambassadors of tourism in this country. We also have a plan and a strategy, as a Ministry, to have local influencers to promote the tourism sector in Kenya. 

At the tail end of her inaugural question time, CS Peninah Malonza promised to furnish the Honorable Senators with a more detailed response to their supplementary questions.