Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Spain)

A new draft constitution was approved by the Kenyan parliament earlier this month. It should be ratified by a referendum. What is this new constitution going to bring?

Our parliament passed the draft of the constitution which was prepared by a committee of experts comprising renowned constitutional lawyers from Kenya and other countries. As the law provides, this draft will have to be published by the Attorney General in the official Kenya Gazette to enable the people read the text.  After a period stipulated in law, there will be a referendum, where all citizens will have an opportunity to vote on it. The referendum will also have to be held within a specified period, and this means it will probably be held in July this year.

If passed, the new constitution will introduce many changes, which I cannot exhaustively explain in this interview. But to mention some of the key ones: the new constitution will allow more devolution of power from the central government to regional governments, or counties, as they are referred to. It will also ensure more separation between the legislature and the executive because whereas currently cabinet ministers who are part the executive arm of the government are also members the parliament, in the new constitution, a member of parliament cannot, at the same time, serve as a cabinet minister. In addition, there will be a stronger bill of rights including the entrenchment of a human rights commission in the constitution, as well as more emphasis on gender equality. Indeed, it will be a requirement that in senior public positions members of one gender cannot occupy more than two thirds off such positions. The effect of this will be further empowerment of women, which will enable them play a more important role in public affairs.



A new constitution is a major step for any country in the world. How are Kenyans reacting to this opportunity they are given? 

The people of Kenya are very excited because the clamour for a new constitution started more than 20 years ago. There has been an ongoing campaign for a new constitution, and we got very close to a new constitution in 2005 when another referendum was held, but it did not pass. However I am confident this time it is going to pass given the broad political support the new draft seems to enjoy. There is broad consensus that it will bring more social justice, stability and prosperity.



You stated in an interview "The Spaniards have an excellent tourism management model that could immensely benefit the Kenyan tourism industry. In which way do you think Kenya can benefit from the Spanish experience?

As I said in that interview Spain is a leading tourist destination. In terms of international arrivals they are only behind France. This says something about the way they manage their tourism sector. I think therefore we have a lot to learn from them in terms of the management of the tourism sector as a whole, in terms of the management of individual enterprises, in terms of marketing including e-marketing and in terms of integration of the communication network. If for example a tourist wants to travel from the Unigted Kingdom to Málaga they can fly directly to the final destination or land in Madrid and travel then to Málaga by train. The transport network is very well integrated in Spain and this is something we have to work on in Kenya. The other area is training, tour-guiding and the conservation and promotion of historical monuments. I was indeed very impressed to learn from the Secretary of State for tourism from Spain that most of the income from tourism comes from cultural tourism and this is something we have a lot to learn about as well. The other important area where Kenya can learn a lot from Spain is in golf tourism. Spain has done a fantastic job in promoting golf as a sport and as a tourist attraction. We would want to learn from Spain as well as far as golf is concerned because it is a country with an important golf tradition. 

I am delighted that Kenya and Spain signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in tourism in 2008. This should facilitate cooperation and transfer of know-how and technology in this area.



There are not many Spanish tourists visiting Kenya. Why do you think this is the case? Are you working to change this situation?

It is true that there are not many Spanish tourists visiting Kenya which is a negative point when you consider the power of the Spanish economy and their population. But I think this is true not only for Kenya but for the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa and I think that it has to do with the focus that Spain historically had towards Latin America, as opposed to Africa. However, I am glad to say that this is changing and the Spanish are now increasingly looking towards Africa. In this regard, I wish to compliment the Government of Spain which has been very keen to see an improvement in relations with Sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, just over three years ago, the Spanish Government launched the “Plan África 2007-2009” that was revised and reinforced last year, with the launching of an updated version: “Plan Africa 2009-2012”.

As I was saying the number of tourists was very small in the past but I am sure this is going to change. Concerning the number of Spanish visitors to Kenya, in 2007 we received around 15.000 tourists but in 2008 because of the post election violence this number went down to about 6.300. Now, the whole situation has change and in 2009 there were around 13.000. In 2010 we expect to get the same figure as in 2007. I have to say that we are very happy about this because one cannot forget the global recession that is affecting all sectors in the economy and specially the tourism sector.

I am convinced that the numbers will grow rapidly because Kenya remains a very attractive destination not only because of its strength in wildlife but also because of its outstanding beaches and other attractions, such as golf, mountaineering, etc.



What are the main comparative advantages of Kenya compared to Tanzania?

Tanzania is no doubt a very beautiful country and as neighbours and partners in the East African Community, we are determined to jointly promote our tourism industry for mutual benefit. Like Kenya, Tanzania has very good tourist attractions. One area where I believe Tanzania can learn and benefit from Kenya is in human resource development for better service delivery. Kenya has the capacity to offer to the visitor an outstanding quality of service because of the very good training Kenyans have had for many years, particularly in the area of hotels, restaurants, housekeeping and travel service. The Kenyan human capacity in hotel and tourism services is outstanding.



The International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), sister association of IAGTO, the global trade organization of the golf tourism industry, awarded Kenya as “The Best Undiscovered Golf Destination for 2009” Is the country trying to develop itself as a golf destination?

Kenya is very determined to become a renown golf destination. Traditionally golf in Kenya was offered only through membership clubs. However, in the last 15 to 20 years there has been considerable development of commercial golf courses, which are attracting an increasing number of golf tourists. Kenya now has well over 30 very well developed golf courses. Our Ministry of Tourism is doing a commendable job in developing golf as a tourist product.



Are the golf courses owned by Kenyan or international investors?

The ownership is varied. Some are owned by Kenyans while others are owned in partnerships between Kenyan and international investors.



You attended the “International Golf Travel Market organized” in Málaga last year 2009. What were your impressions?

Overall, the number of exhibitors and buyers increased over the previous year. This was very interesting as it went to show how resilient golf is, as a tourist product, given the fact that, overall, tourism had taken a beating from the world economic recession. With regard to exhibitors from Kenya, I was delighted that the number of companies had increased substantially over the previous year.  But most important of all, I was very happy because they were able to book a considerable amount of business from the fare. I was also very delighted with the number of people who participated in our presentation on Kenya, which I was privileged to give. This was an indicator of increased interest in the Kenyan golf product. I am convinced that golf tourism to Kenya is now recognized as a maturing product, and will become increasingly important.



As ambassador of Kenya in Spain. Is there an interest from Spanish companies wanting to invest in Kenya?

Thus far, the level of Spanish investment has been a victim of the same historical reasons that I explained earlier with respect to the number of tourists. The level of investment has been less than it could potentially be, given the size of the Spanish economy. We consider this one of the challenges that we have to deal with. We definitely want Spanish companies to come to Kenya to invest in areas such as infrastructure, water and energy. We want Spanish investors to understand that Kenya welcomes them. I believe the bilateral financial cooperation agreement we signed last year will provide an important bridge. Through this agreement, many Spanish companies will come to implement projects in Kenya, and will work with their Kenyan counterparts. In the process, they will learn about the many investment opportunities that Kenya offers.



How would you describe the bilateral relations between the Governments of Kenya and Spain?

They are excellent. Both our economic and political relations are very good. On the economic front, I have already mentioned the agreements on tourism cooperation, and the bilateral financial cooperation agreement. On the political side, there are many areas, but notable at the moment is the support Kenya is giving to Spain and other EU countries in dealing with the pirate problem in the Indian Ocean.



Could you tell our readers a little more about yourself?

I was born and grew up in rural Kenya and got my childhood education there. Before joining University, I studied in Strathmore College in Nairobi. After that I got a scholarship for to go to Cornell University, U.S.A, where I took a degree in Business Administration specializing in Hotel Management. Later, I pursued post graduate studies in hotel and tourism at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, U.S.A. With regard to employment, I started working at the Ministry of Tourism, then moved to a hotel and tourism school in Nairobi where I taught and later became the Principal of the institution. I also handled a number of projects as advisor to my government on tourism as well as education matters, both at home and internationally. I also served as non-executive Chairman the board of a bank for over 14 years, as well as Chairman of the board of American Life Insurance Company (Kenya) (part of the AIG group) for 10 years. As an investor, I set up  my own hotel and tourism school, which is currently being run by a manager. I also take pride in the numerous community projects on which I have served on voluntary basis.