Jacinta Nzioka named Kenya Tourism Board interim boss

Major changes are looming in the tourism sector, as Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala looks for fresh faces to head tourism agencies under the ministry. The shake up comes after the CS replaced Muriithi Ndegwa as the Managing Director of the Kenya Tourism Board following the expiry of his term.

Jacinta Nzioka Mbithi takes over the reigns at the tourism marketing body in an acting capacity as the board carries out a recruitment exercise for a substantive replacement.

According to Mr. Balala, there was need to inject fresh ideas to market tourism if the country was to regain its past glory.

“A true transformation of the tourism sector can only be achieved through change and not business as usual,” CS Balala said.

Mr Ndegwa has been at the helm of KTB since 2009. Prior to her appointment, Mrs Mbithi served as the Marketing Director at KTB.

The Cabinet Secretary announced that all the heads of agencies within the ministry who have served their two terms to prepare for smooth hand-overs to a senior manager who will manage the entities as the Boards prepare to recruit competitively.

“We will fast track all the administrative and policy issues that we have at hand to enable us strengthen the performance of all the institutions that are under our ministry,’ he said.

Since taking over the tourism docket in December, Mr Balala has emphasizes the need to radical plans to revive the ailing tourism sector.

Tourist numbers and earnings have plunged in the last four years due to terror related attacks. Arrival numbers dipped 12 percent in the first 11 months of 2015 to 690,893 as key source markets issued travel advisories.

In an effort of consolidating plans in the tourism sector, the ministry plans to spend Sh5.2 billion shillings in the current financial year, on measures to foster growth in tourism.

The government has reduced park fees for tourists, waived visa fees for children below 16 and funded a charter incentive program in an effort of breathing life back into the sector.