Storm brews over CS plan to merge tourism entities
The move will see KTB, the convention bureau, Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency and TRI Brand Kenya merged. The new entity will be under Trade Ministry.
An uproar has greeted the move to merge four tourism agencies into one single behemoth agency called Promotion Kenya. The directive is contained in a letter by Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala proposing the consolidation of the agencies involved in the promotion of Kenya into a merged entity called Promotion Kenya.
In a wide-sweeping reform, the new entity will be under the Ministry of Trade, Industrialisation, and Enterprise Development away from the traditional tourism docket.
“Following consultations with government, it has been decided that functions of the Kenya National Convention Bureau be consolidated into Kenya Tourism Board (KTB),” read a letter Mr Balala wrote to his Industrialisation counterpart, Ms Betty Maina.
“It is expected that a holistic approach which brings on board all the affected agencies will hasten the conclusion of the merger process as soon as possible,” said Mr Balala.
The CS intimated that a chairperson of the Merger Implementation Committee has been requested to convene a merger committee meeting to speed up the review and finalisation of the merger instruments.
