Nanyuki — Ten Million Kenya shillings has been raised through the four-day Mt Kenya climbing expedition by Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.
The funds will be used to improve visitors' experience at the facility which is one of Kenya's greatest landmarks.
Construction works are expected to commence immediately to improve and develop sanitation facilities, hiking trails as well as other amenities that have been a pain point for climbers who visit the mountain for a hiking experience.
Speaking after successfully completing the climb together with fellow hikers who included M-Pesa Managing Director Sitoyo Lopokoiyit , Visa Kenya Country Manager Eva Sarwari and Vipingo Ridge chairman Alastair Cavenagh among others, CS Balala said thanked the sponsors who had come on board to support the initiative that would improve the hiking experience at Mt Kenya and position it as the preferred climbing destination in Africa.
" I am delighted that this time around, we were able to bring partners on board to climb the mountain with the purpose of raising funds improve amenities around the mountain, we have so far been able to mobilize around 10 million shillings that will be utilised under the Kenya Wildlife Service ( KWS) and we expect this to commence soon," Said Balala
He noted that the experience at Mount Kenya was unique and should be a bucket list activity for all adventure lovers from across the world.
" I have spent the last four- days exploring Mt Kenya which has been a wonderful experience. It has not been easy, but it has made me appreciate nature and our other God given resources. We want to leverage this hike to profile Mt Kenya as the ideal climbing destination and also grow the adventure market both locally and internationally," he said.
"The Government has ensured that conservation is a key agenda in the tourism industry through putting in place policies that ensure the protection of resources such as Mount Kenya. this is my second time to climb the mountain and I urge everyone who has an eye for adventure to come here and experience Mt Kenya for yourself" added the CS.
Standing at 5,199 m, Mount Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa and is one of the Key adventure tourism destinations in the continent.
Its scenic views with diverse wildlife makes it a unique destination for mountain climbers and adventure seekers from across the world. Some of the known attractions at the mountain include the three peaks namely Lenana, Nelion and Batian, lakes which include Alice, Michaelson, Ellis and the diverse vegetation and wildlife.
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Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director General John Waweru stated thatKWs was opening all the adventure parks by refurbishing and upgrading the visitor facilities to enhance the experience. He made a rallying call to local and international visitors to list Mt. Kenya on their bucket list.
Earlier in the month, CS Balala visited Mt Longonot as part of the preparations for the expedition. During this period, Mt longonot has registered a big increase in visitors into the park from the domestic market with more people taking up hiking for recreation and wellness.
The Ministry of Tourism and wildlife has identified adventure, hiking, mountaineering experiences as key catalysts in the recovery of tourism businesses in Kenya.
Among the organizations that supported the initiative include; Safaricom's M-Pesa, Huawei, Visa Kenya, Vipingo Ridge, East African Breweries Limited, KCB Bank, and Sahihi Interior Builders among others.
