Makueni County Government Bets Big on Tourism Interview with County Director of Tourism Dianah Muli.

What is the tourism plan and a g e n d a o f G o v e r n o r H . E .

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr's administration for the people of Makueni County?

Every year, hundreds of people visit Makueni County to explore nature and enjoy the various tourist attraction sites and the good hotel facilities present or just to do business. Development and PromotionofSustainableTourismin MakueniCountyistheagendaofour GovernorMutulaKilonzoJr

First, the Governor has been very clearonthepaththatwillleadtothe establishmentoftourisminvestment opportunities in the County We are actively doing this already, profiling and packaging county tourism investment opportunities, developing guidelines and incentives for investors, and promoting tourism in Makueni County.

Secondly,wearekeenlyidentifying, developing, and promoting tourism attraction sites for wildlife, adventure, and cultural tourism. We are seeking collaborations with relevant agencies for the development of wildlife conservancies, ecotourism activities andfacilitiessuchasdevelopmentof accommodation facilities in Chyulu National Park; Eco-lodge in Makuli forest, Zip lines andWild Swings in Makongo,CampsiteinNzaui,andan animal sanctuary in Kiboko. The County has also identified unique selling features in Makueni forests and hills in which we are seeking to develop nature trails along them, besides the identification and patenting of County natural springs. We also plan to hold and participate in more tourism, cultural and sports festivalsasacounty.

Thirdly, we are developing tourism infrastructure in the county, by establishing signages, maps and documentaries showing tourism attractionsites.Incollaborationwith the County D epartment of Roads, we are ensuring periodic maintenance of access roads and negotiating with relevant national government agencies to rehabilitate

Moreover, the County Government of Makueniiskeenondevelopingnature based tourism through collaborating with Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) for sustainable wildlife parks developmentforinstanceinregardsto community sensitization on the benefitsofnatureconservationandcoexistence; and protection of wildlife migration routes We are keen on enhanced tourism service quality in collaboration with tourism training institutions like Kenya Utalii College. The County highly encourages periodic training of our service providers; and classification of the Countyhospitalityfacilities.

What are some of the key tourist attractions in Makueni County, to mentionbutafew?

Makueni County is situated on the Eastern side of Kenya and has six constituencies.ItslargesttownisWote. ItbordersMachakostotheNorth,Kitui to the East, Taita Taveta to the South andKajiadototheWest.

The county is filled with the beauty of nature in a scenic landscape - it has very significant locations worth sightseeing Makueni County has a varietyoffeatureswhichareprominent tourist attractions. Some of the major onesinclude Nzauihills,ChyuluHills National Park popularly known as Green Hills ofAfrica, Tsavo National Park, Kibwezi Forest, Mbooni Hills, KaitiHillsamongothers.

MakueniCountyalsohasover87hotel facilities for our visitors to come stay and relax when visiting the county Examples include the beautiful Tawa Country Lodge in Mbooni, Alem Resort, Kijiji in Emali, Kelvian Hotel among tens of others. Some of the hotels have big conference rooms available for meetings and can host upto70guestsormore.

What opportunities exist to tap in partnershipforthefuture?

The rise and growth of tourism sector in Makueni has created opportunities for people For instance, an opportunity to establish more hotel facilitiesandanopportunitytoventure into adventure tourism because of the niceterrainofthecounty

The county is making an attempt to identify, develop and promote tourist attractionsitesthroughtheestablishment of tourism investment opportunities in the county and development of guidelinestopresenttovisitors.Thisisto increase the flow of visitors coming to Makueni. Also, we are developing an investment master plan that will outline the opportunities available and the incentives given to people so as to marketthevarioustouristattractionsites inthecounty Inaddition,thecountyhas inplaceaninvestmentlegalframework. Locally for stakeholders, we enjoy a cordial working relationship with service providers and stakeholders including KWS, KFS, and Tourist Regulatory Authority etc. working within the county in the tourism sector These stakeholders are in the conservation, management and promotionoftouristattractionsitesinthe county A lot of people are investing in tourism in the county after realizing its benefits As a County, we highly encourage even external investors to partner with the people of Makueni by investinghere.

In2021MakueniCountyhostedall47 Counties in Kenya for the Devolution Conference.Howwasthatexperience forthetourismsector?

It was a fantastic week-long fair and we were honored to host the entire country here! We delivered a world-class devolutionconferenceandlearnedsome good lessons we hope to rely on for futureevents.

How does the future look like for tourism in Makueni County?

Makueni's tourism industry has a brightfuture.

Since plans to make the county a tourist attraction center and the sector, a major incomegeneratorforboththecountyand the nation began to be implemented, tourism has grown and more attraction sites and facilities continue to be developed.Makueniwillmakeyouwant totravelmorefrequently!

By Think Safari Correspondent

Jkia Named African Cargo Airport Of The Year At The Stat Trade Times International Awards For Excellence In Air Cargo

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has been recognized as the African Cargo Airport of the Year at the prestigious STAT Trade Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo held yesterday in Johannesburg South Africa.

The award recognizes JKIA's exceptional performance in cargo infrastructure, systems, and services, as well as its commitment to excellence in air transport services.

The African Cargo Airport of the Year award is a reflection of JKIA's outstanding performance in these areas, competing against some of the most established and busiest cargo airports on the continent. This win cements JKIA's position as a leading cargo airport in the region, and enhances its reputation for excellence in cargo handling and air transport services.

"We are extremely proud to receive this prestigious award, which is a testament to the hard work and class cargo infrastructure, systems, and services, and we are honored to be recognized as a topperforming cargo airport in Africa," said the Managing Director of the Kenya Airports Authority, Mr. Alex Gitari.

Kenya Airports Authority has in recent years invested heavily in infrastructure and systems at JKIA through Public Private Partnerships (PPP), positioning it as a preferred airport for handling perishables, pharmaceuticals, horticulture, and live animals

The STAT Trade Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo is one of the most prestigious awards in the air cargo industry, recognizing excellence in air cargo services, logistics, and transportation worldwide