The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, alongside the Ministry of Interior, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation with the National Police Service (NPS). The signing ceremony took place at Harambee House in Nairobi, overseen by Cabinet Secretaries Rebecca Miano and Prof. Kithure Kindiki.
Before the signing, Kindiki emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and security of both local and foreign tourists, stating, “The safety and security of tourists, foreign and local, is key to the growth of the sector.” He noted that the NPS, through the Tourism Police Unit (TPU), will play a crucial role in this effort.
“The TPU will be supported by the Tourism Fund in their daily operations and capacity building, while every other aspect will be managed by the NPS,” he added. Kindiki expressed his belief in strengthening the tourism sector to generate more revenue and enhance the country’s economic development.
He pointed out that for nearly 40 years, the number of foreign arrivals has remained between 1.5 million and 2 million, stating, “We are punching way below our weight. It is possible to get out of this under-2 million statistic, and the target of this administration is to achieve 5 million by 2027. I believe that going into the next phase of this administration, we should be targeting 10 million by 2032.” He also mentioned that this year, the number of arrivals is expected to reach the 3 million mark.
Tourism CS Rebecca Miano remarked that the MoU signing is timely, coinciding with Tourism Week, themed around peace and security. “The signing of this memorandum is a critical milestone. Before any tourist goes to any destination, the first thing on their checklist is to ensure there’s security. This will ensure we can give confidence that security is well arranged in Kenya.”
As the aim is to increase tourist numbers to 5 million by 2025, Miano assured, “We are well ahead of time in arranging their security.”
Kindiki reiterated that the collaborative MoU highlights the need for intergovernmental cooperation, stating, “There’s only one government, and that is why interministerial collaboration becomes crucial. We in Interior cannot deliver unless we get support from other Ministries.”
The signing was witnessed by Inspector General of the National Police, Douglas Kanja. The MoU is set to be reviewed after five years. Other attendees included Principal Secretaries Dr. Raymond Omollo (Internal Security and National Administration), John Ololtuua (Tourism), Deputy Inspector-General (Kenya Police Service) Eliud Lagat, and senior officials from the Ministries of Interior, National Administration, Wildlife, and Tourism.
