The Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) has commenced plans to woo investors to lease, develop and manage 13 hotels within national parks across the country.
In a tender notice dated, Tuesday, April 2, KWS earmarked 13 sites in various parks including the Nairobi National Park in the plan.
For instance, at the Nairobi National Park, the government is seeking to lease five sites including the Kisembe Site, Rangers Park, KWS Club House Site, Sebastian Restaurant Site and Southern Bypass Sites.
The hotels listed for leasing and development include tented luxury camps, a 20-bed business hotel, restaurants and event grounds.
Likewise, at the Meru National Park, KWS is seeking investors to oversee a 40 to 60-bed tented camp at the Fig Tree Site and another 40 to 80-bed lodge at the Mulika Site.
Meanwhile, KWS is seeking the leasing and management of 30-bed tented camps at the Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks.
Luxury tented camps at the Amboseli National Park and the Aberdare National Park were also listed in the investor plan.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is inviting interested and eligible investors for leasing, development and management of tourism sites in selected KWS-managed National Parks.
"Interested candidates may seek further information from the Procurement office, Kenya Wildlife Service, Headquarters between 8 am to 5 pm during weekdays, Tel. 020-2379407-15 or Mobile Number: 0726610508/9, or email: hps@kws.go.ke," read the notice in part.
The announcement by KWS comes after Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua detailed that the government would be seeking to have investors partner with the government to set up various facilities at the parks.
At the time, he noted that the move would be timely given that Kenya is eying to boost revenue generated from tourism.
"I held talks with US Ambassador Meg Whitman during a courtesy call at my office in Nairobi. Our talks focused on mutual interests, exploring the potential for American investors to establish tourist facilities in our parks and reserves through private-public partnership arrangements," he stated then.
