National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula today recalled an incident of cultural misrepresentation that occurred in London last year.
Wetang’ula, speaking about the celebrations marking 75 years of the Commonwealth, described an event where individuals posing as Maasai dancers were, in fact, “black muscular men” who did not represent Maasai culture accurately. He noted that these impostors appeared at the event, and when questioned about their origins, they vanished after a lackluster performance.
Addressing Tourism Cabinet Secretary nominee Rebecca Miano, Wetang’ula criticized the current efforts to promote Kenya abroad, suggesting that more effective strategies are needed. He highlighted that the Kenya High Commission had been involved in organizing the event, and the misrepresentation of Maasai culture was a significant oversight.
Wetang’ula lamented that tourism, once a leading source of revenue for Kenya, has declined. He challenged Miano to outline her plans for boosting tourism, aiming to increase visitor numbers from the current two million to ten million. He proposed considering foreign nationals as tourism ambassadors to enhance Kenya’s global appeal, citing China’s large number of outbound tourists as a potential resource.
In her response, Miano acknowledged the issues and underscored the need for innovative strategies. She emphasized the importance of updating Kenya’s tourism brand and recruiting skilled professionals with strong linguistic abilities to effectively enhance the country’s tourism appeal.
