TOURISM AND WILDLIFE ONCE AGAIN UNDER ONE ROOF IN KENYA
(Posted 28th January 2018)
The completion of Kenya’s cabinet lineup has brought about a reunification of the closely linked tourism and wildlife portfolios, taking the wildlife docket from Environment and adding it where by broad consensus it belongs – with tourism.
Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has therefore seen the responsibility substantially widened as he also takes on such institutions like the Kenya Wildlife Service.
That institution, also by broad consensus, needs urgent reform to lift it from financial dire straights and bring back proper order and reporting lines. As and when a new chairman is appointed it is hoped that her or his influence will remain on board level and not as is presently the case, get involved in the day to day running of the organization by inserting the proverbial fifth columns.
The tourism industry in Kenya has widely applauded the merging of the two portfolios and hopes for an added momentum as the wildlife component, critical to Kenya’s tourism success, will now be managed again under one roof and not require inter ministerial discussions and turf fights which in the past were seen as negatively impacting on ‘doing business’.
