Kenya tourism news update – New Tourism Bill passes final hurdle

KENYAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW TOURISM BILL

Last weekend news reached that the parliament in Nairobi has finally voted for the new tourism bill, which will bring long overdue new regulatory bodies and a new organizational structure for the public sector of the tourism industry into place.

Now only awaiting the anticipated presidential assent to make it the law of the land, the new bill fundamentally overhauls the set up of the industry. The bodies, some ‘old ones’ in a revised format and altogether new ones are tasked with specific responsibilities but expected to work hand in hand under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism which retains policy formulation and political oversight. A Tourism Regulatory Authority has been created, which will be the licensing, monitoring arm of government, also able to direct enforcement for defaulters and violators of regulations, taking over a range of functions from the present Hotel and Restaurant Authority.

Other bodies will be the Kenya Utalii College, already in existence since the early 70’s and a showcase institution of higher learning for the hotel and tourism sector across Africa, the Kenya Tourism Board, the Kenyatta International Conference Centre and notably a Tourism Protection Service.

Also new will be a Tourism Finance Corporation, which will absorb the previous Tourism Trust Fund and resemble the former Kenya Tourist Development Corporation, and a Tourism Research Institute, which will support the sector with data and case specific studies aimed to improve sectoral performance and lift the product quality across the board while supporting the development of new products.

Finally, a Tourism Tribunal will handle all forms of appeals against decisions taken by these previously mentioned new organizations by stakeholders not satisfied with rulings, to allow a swift resolution of disputes at this level before matters would head to an already overloaded court system.

Well done Kenya on this achievement, which was long in the making and has finally materialized.

East Africa news update – Inflation still rising

INFLATION KEEPS RISING

The latest data released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics makes grim reading, given another rise of month on month inflation for April to now 14.1 percent, three percent up from March and well more than double compared to even February this year. Drought related food prices, combined with the escalating cost of fuel which drove transportation prices up, are largely to blame for the situation, which prevails across the entire East African region. Governments are consulting across the EAC to devise ways and means to cushion the rise of commodity prices for low income earners, and temporarily lower taxes and duties are being considered until the economic situation stabilizes again. Central Banks are also monitoring the current low levels in value of local currencies against the US Dollar, the Euro and other hard currencies but here experts are confident that the trend will reverse in the near future.

The onset of the current rains in parts of East Africa is promising however as food crops will again be available in plenty, bringing prices down across the board, but that cannot happen soon enough for those now counting every cent before spending it.