The National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula on Thursday, November 21, hosted a Chinese delegation from the Kenya-China Parliamentary Friendship Group led by its Hao Ping in Parliament.
In a statement released after the meeting, Wetangula appealed to the Chinese Government to send at least 5 million of its 1.2 billion citizens to the country to visit and enjoy several tourism attractions including wildlife and sandy beaches.
This, Wetangula said, was in a bid to market Kenya to the foreign world and increase diplomatic ties with the country beyond trade and infrastructure.
“In my quest to continue marketing Kenya as a tourist destination, I called on Prof. Hao Ping and the entire delegation to support the sector by sending at least 5M of the 1.2B Citizens to Kenya to savour the enticing flora and fauna, the sandy beaches, the wildlife, and the people to impact the nation’s economic capability,” he said in a statement.
Known for its expansive savanna and home to the big 5 and alluring sandy beaches, Kenya attracts millions of international tourists yearly with 2023 alone recording 1.9 million visitors and amassing earnings of up to Ksh352.5 billion in the sector.
The sector also contributes highly to job creation with The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) CEO John Chirchir estimating that one job is created for every visitor who arrives in the country.
Several government efforts have been made to boost the foreign revenue stream including an introduction of the Digital Nomad Visa a month ago that offers foreigners seeking to explore Kenya while working remotely to do so via this special work permit.
During the delegation, Wetangula also pushed for the two nations to continue their trade relations and urged the Government of China to open up its market for more of Kenya’s produce.
“I urged the delegation to expand the engagements between the two countries to focus on trade and open up the Chinese market for Kenyan products,” said Wetangula.
The speaker further appreciated the Asian nation’s effort in funding infrastructure projects in Kenya and Africa at large, stating that its footprints had been felt across the continent.
“Noting the journey, the Republic of China had taken over the course of the decades, I further noted that Kenya and Africa by extension had also concluded its liberation journey and that attention now should shift to freeing its people from poverty and into self-reliance,” he added.
Diving specifically into China’s contributions to Kenya, he appreciated China’s contribution to the country’s crucial infrastructure including the Expressway and several other highways across the nation.
“I appreciated the contribution of the Asian country to various development initiatives in Kenya singling out the Expressway where diverse Chinese technology was utilised, the Highways constructed and improved by Chinese companies, and also various water projects that are set to facilitate access of the precious commodity by communities and livestock,” he stated.
Wetangula was joined by four more Members of Parliament; Rachael Nyamai, Makali Mulu, Kakai Bissau, and Julius Sunkuli all drawn from Kitui South, Kitui Central, Kiminini and Kilgoris respectively.
The Chinese delegation led by Hao Ping also included Ma Viming and Zhang Li.
