United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has listed Gedi ruins in Malindi, Kilifi county, as the eight world Heritage Site in Kenya. The other seven world heritage sites are: Lake Turkana national parks; Mount Kenya National Park & forests; Lamu old town; sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forest; Fort Jesus in Mombasa; Kenya lake system Rift valley & Thimlich Ohinga. This listing by UNESCO brings renewed focus on conservation efforts, cultural heritage and landscape, preservation of national assets for posterity, green jobs creation and opens new opportunities for sustainable tourism, research and international cooperation. Gedi ruins, which had well- planned urban layout, an intricate coral stones structures/series of stone houses; sophisticated Swahili architecture, palace and mosque within the lush indigenous forest, blending natural and cultural heritage, has been a site of archaeological significance. The ruins thrived between 13th to 17th century and hence can showcase the Swahili culture and architecture globally and debunk the myth that Africa did not have civilizations before the colonialists. Adequate infrastructure and services are needed in anticipation of increased tourists as a result of the UNESCO listing.
The Economic Survey 2024 shows that in 2023, Kenya received 2,086,800 tourists. The international visitor arrivals grew by 35.4 percent to hit 2.1 million in 2023. On the other hand, hotel bed-night occupancy rose by 23.2 percent to 8,632.8 thousand in 2023, with 53.5 percent, or slightly more than half of these bed occupancies being occupied by Kenyan residents, a sign for positive growth in domestic tourism. Visitors to national parks and game reserves increased by 43.0 percent to hit 3.6 million in 2023 and visitors to the museums, snake parks, and historical sites grew by 27.9 percent to hit 1.1 million in 2023. It is under the category of the museums, snake parks and historical sites where the elevation of Gedi ruins as the 8th world heritage sites is expected to increase more visits and hence derive more tourism earnings for accelerated economic growth and diversification of the tourism earnings. In addition, the economic survey 2024 shows that the number of international conferences being held in Kenya increased by 9.0 percent to hit 977 in 2023. This is where there is need to ensure more tourist and conference offering around the Lake Turkana and the great Rift valley lake ecosystem as the cradle of man and hence incentivize more conferences. The planned resort cities under the Kenya Vision 2030 in Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana should be prioritized as a matter of urgency together with the attendant infrastructure, research facilities and memorandums of understanding on such research. Dr Giti is an urban management, public – private partnerships (PPP) and environment specialist. mutegigiti@gmail.com , @danielgiti
Dr. Daniel Mutegi Giti 