Tourism stakeholders have appealed to the government to speed up efforts to operationalise the Ronald Ngala Utalii College in Kilifi county.
The stakeholders said on Monday that the college is key to boosting tourism by equipping tourism personnel with the skills required to deliver world-class services.
“So that curricula specifically geared towards the tourism industry get the necessary support and are offered more regularly,” veteran tourism player Sam Ikwaye said.
Ikwaye, the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) executive director, said increasing international tourist arrivals to five million would require collaboration among all stakeholders, including learning institutions and tourism agencies.
He said polytechnics and universities have their own curricula, which may not be tailored specifically to the needs of the tourism industry.
“So, we would like to have the Ronald Ngala Utalii College up and running as soon as possible,” Ikwaye said.
He spoke during the graduation of more than 300 Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) students at the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic.
He said recognition of prior learning increases the tourism sector’s skilled workforce and helps raise service standards.
The KAHC also renewed calls for an open skies policy to attract more visitors, saying this would be key if Kenya is to achieve its target of five million international tourists.
The government has set a target of five million international tourists this year after a remarkable performance last year, when Kenya received a record 2.7 million international visitors and generated about Sh500 billion in tourism earnings.
Ikwaye said producing more qualified tourism workers to improve service delivery would be meaningless if the number of tourists does not increase.
“That is why we insist that we need the open skies policy to liberalise the airspace so that more planes can bring tourists directly to the Coast region,” Ikwaye said.
He lauded the Tourism Fund for its efforts to develop the tourism sector.
He said this was made possible through the fund’s collaboration with industry players and institutions involved in the sector.
Ikwaye said they were pleased that the two per cent levy contributed to the Tourism Fund is being reinvested in developing the tourism sector.
The tourism stakeholders also cautioned politicians against making careless remarks that could fuel unrest, saying such statements could scare away visitors.
The appeal comes amid increasing political rhetoric that has bordered on hate speech, raising concerns about the potential for conflict.
On Tuesday, Mukurwe-ini MP John Kaguchia was released after spending the night at Kamukunji police station following his arrest over alleged threats against supporters of President William Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election.
His remarks drew condemnation from political leaders and other public figures, who described his language as inflammatory and unacceptable in a democratic society.
Weeks earlier, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua urged international tourists to postpone visiting Kenya until after the 2027 General Election, claiming there were too many goons in the country who could compromise their safety.
His remarks also attracted criticism from tourism industry players.
Ikwaye said the tourism sector employs millions of Kenyans and is one of the pillars of the Coast’s economy and the national economy.
“We would like to urge caution among our leaders. The words they spew could have devastating effects on the tourism sector. Words have power,” he said.
Kenya Coast National Polytechnic Council chair Patricia Mbogo said the RPL initiative is one of the most innovative and progressive programmes introduced under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
She said many young people in Kenya have valuable skills in different sectors but lack the required formal qualifications for various reasons.
“Through this RPL programme, these young people can now have documents that, coupled with their skills, will open doors for them to work in any part of the world,” Mbogo said.
The students were funded through the Tourism Fund.
Fred Ayugu, an employee at Baobab Beach Resort and Spa in Diani, said he had décor skills but lacked formal training.
“But now that I have graduated with a certificate that shows I have the skills, I can work anywhere in the world comfortably,” Ayugu said.
He called on the government to create more opportunities for disadvantaged young people through initiatives such as the RPL programme.
