By Fredrick Obura
Kenya on Sunday joins other Common Wealth countries in commemorating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to mark her 60th Diamond Jubilee.
Some 2,012 beacons will be lit across the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, the Commonwealth and other countries as part of the celebrations.
Queen Elizabeth will light the National beacon at approximately 22.30 British Summer Time (BST) in a central location in London.
Locally at Tree tops where Elizabeth was named the queen 60 years ago, Tourism Assistant Minister Cecily Mbarire will lead other dignitaries and players in the tourism sector in lighting the beacon.
The celebration has a special meaning to Kenya since it is in Treetops on February 5, 1952, when Princess Elizabeth went up the tree house a Princess and the following day came down a Queen. Her father King George VI passed on that night. Kenya Tourism Board MD, Muriithi Ndegwa, said the celebrations have raised the profile of Kenya as a royal destination.
“You will also remember that the Queen’s grand son Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton, while on holiday in Kenya, this confirms our message that Kenya is indeed a royal destination” says Muriithi.
At the same in a bid to leverage on diamond celebrations, KTB has rolled out a number of activities in UK aimed at publicizing Kenya as a royal destination.
KTB formed part of the Kenyan delegation that displayed memoirs of the royal connection between the country and UK during the Queen’s diamond jubilee pageant held last month.
This availed the opportunity to engage both consumers and trade in what Kenya has to offer not only to the royal family but to other potential tourists during this highly acclaimed fair which attracted the Queen herself to visit the Kenyan stand.
