Pillar XII – Destination Laikipia

From laikipia.go.ke

The County Government of Laikipia has consistently maintained good progress in fulfilling the promises made to the people during the 2017 General Election.

Governor Ndiritu Muriithi’s election manifesto was anchored on 12 pillars that included:

• Proper Goverance and Accountability,
• Job Creation: 30,000 Jobs,
• Farming Becomes a profitable business,
• Access to clean and Reliable water,
• Access to Quality and Affordable Health Care,
• Employable youths and Entrepreneurship,
• Opportunities and Talent Development for young people,
• Protection of Life and Property,
• Upgrade of roads and Building bridges,
• Light-up of homes and Markets,
• Develop Smart and Green Towns, and
• Destination Laikipia.

In our eleventh installment of ‘ From Political promises to Action’ we are focusing on Pillar Number Twelve.

Destination Laikipia

There have been an increased number of tourists and investment commitments during the tenure of Governor Ndiritu Muriithi. To deliver on his promise of promoting destination Laikipia, various measures were put in place by County Government of Laikipia to make a preferred choice for both tourism activities and capital investment.

In a span of two years, major players in hospitality, transport, and logistic have invested massively in Laikipia. County Government has been implementing projects all over Laikipia to create an enabling and conducive environment that will facilitate the operations of investors.

The latest entry in Laikipia is Toyota Kenya who opened a regional office in Nanyuki town set to serve the larger Mt. Kenya region.

The rehabilitation of the meter-gauge Nairobi – Nanyuki railway line is playing a pivot role in promoting Laikipia tourism. The county department of tourism has partnered with Kenya Railways to initiate the Twende Nanyuki campaign. This has brought a score of local tourists riding the train for a week’s retreat around Nanyuki, returning to the city on Sunday.

The line will serve tourism, beef farming, and oil supply for the Mt. Kenya region and norther counties while contributing to the local economy. It has also rekindled investors’ interest in Nanyuki which is fast developing as a logistics hub with the Cereb.

Department of Trade, Tourism and Cooperatives has been promoting Laikipia as a leading tourism destination for local and foreign visitors. For a long time, Laikipia has emerged as a renowned safari destination with best experiences and many conservations for wildlife in the country.

The department has held tourism promotional events such as the Nanyuki Amateur fun race, Miss Tourism Laikipia and Laikipia Indigenous technology fair. The events were to promote and market Laikipia as a tourist destination hub.

The amatuer fun race and the improvement of critical roads under the Laikipia county leasing program re-opened Laikipia North for tourism after a wave of insecurity and boost sector confidence.

The county has also exhibited in 21 events to showcase Laikipia as a preferred destination such as Nyeri cultural center, Kalasha international film, and TV awards. The events saw 2000 participants incorporated.

County also organized Nanyuki at 100 celebrations which incorporated various activities to showcase Laikipia as a tourism destination. During this period, a handbook was launched to be a reference for tourists wishing to visit Laikipia.

It contains all the preferential places to visit while in the county with descriptions and services offered.

Laikipia has rehabilitated and constructed seven resource centers and lodges at Ngambolo, Olgaboli, Twala, Naatum, Arjiju, Il-ngwesi and Makurian. This created 1,127 jobs through supporting the beadworks business. The centers are essential in sustaining the traditional cultural practices of the local people.

Twala/tenebo is a cultural village in Ilpolei Group Ranch in Mukogodo West Ward that was created in 1998 to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods through eco/cultural tourism and bio-enterprises by a group of Maasai women. It offers Community meeting resource center rental for 100 visitors, eco-manyatta cottages that accommodate up to 22 guests, camping grounds, bee-keeping enterprise, Aloe production for cosmetics, beadwork enterprise, and curio shop.

The work also ensured an increase in community social services including health, education, and water programs. Women groups operating in the centers have also been offered financial linkage. These centers will contribute to an increased number of tourists in Laikipia.

The efforts of the County Government received a boost after 10 establishments were recognized by Magical Kenya Signature Experience (MKSE) as having an outstanding and unique tourism experience in the country.

Nanyuki is changing its face as investors trickle in with massive infrastructural projects. Over the past three years, the real estate market has experienced exponential expansion as construction of high ends hotels, malls and lodges come up.

In the town center, the County Government has rehabilitated and maintained Nanyuki central park. This is expected to enhance security and play a crucial role in greening the town as work on smart town initiative continue to transform major urban towns.

The number of hotels in Laikipia County has tripled in the last three years from 36 in 2017 to a total of 103 as of the end of 2019 according to Laikipia County Statistical Abstract 2020. It also states that the arrival of tourists at Thomson falls, Nyahururu jumped from 118,915 to 188, 909 during the same period.