President William Ruto's administration has come out to address allegations that it plans to privatise some Kenyan beaches in a new strategy to boost investments in the tourism sector.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 28, Tourism Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa dismissed the claims, noting that while the strategy designates certain beaches and islands for special concessions, the suggestions made in the proposal would not necessarily be actionable.
Ololtuaa went ahead to clarify that while the plan was currently under public participation, any comments approved during the public engagement forums could not directly endorse any form of privatisation.
The PS insisted that the proposals made in the strategy will first be subjected to thorough scrutiny by the relevant authorities, as demanded by the Kenyan law, before implementation.
"In any case, beach land and resources remain under the ownership and management of the national government. The private sector only provides investment, innovation, and service delivery under regulated agreements," the PS assured.
"It is critical to state that any premature conclusion alleging that the Government intends to bend established legal provisions to engage in illegitimate creation of investment opportunities in the tourism sector is far-fetched," he added.
According to Ololtuaa, the plan was part of the broader strategy by the government to re-engineer Kenya's tourism sector by specifically enhancing the beach tourism experience.
His clarification comes on the back of reports suggesting that Ruto's administration was eyeing the privatisation of at least six beaches and four islands in the new tourism privatisation plan.
The reports indicated that the government, through its Kenya National Tourism Strategy (2025-2030) draft plan, aimed to establish a beach classification model that would help identify strategic beaches for privatisation.
As per the claims, there would be four beach categories for privatisation, including exclusive or premium category, family and leisure, ecotourism and cultural, adventure and sports categories.
The exclusive or premium beaches would have airstrips, private villas, boutique resorts and private golf courses targeting high-net-worth individuals.
The draft proposes strict zoning and beach management rules to be installed for privacy, security, and exclusivity. Beaches listed under this category include Vipingo in Kilifi, Tiwi in Kwale, Kuruwitu in Kilifi and Msambweni in Kwale.
