By WINSLEY MASESE
KENYA: The Government plans to set up a major hospitality facility at the Bomas of Kenya as it seeks to increase bed capacity to cope with anticipated rise in the number of tourists visiting the country.
The facility at the cultural centre near the main gate to Nairobi National Park is expected to expand by some 2,000 rooms in Nairobi by 2017.
The number of quality beds available in Kenya has been a concern and in the past, tourism industry players have said the scarcity is nearing a crisis level. This is especially as there are plans to increase the number of tourists visiting Kenya from the current 1.2 million to three million by 2017.
The planned Bomas International Convention and Exhibition Centre is expected to transform the Bomas of Kenya from a sleepy cultural centre to a mega conference facility that could rival the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
The Ministry of Tourism said there are plans to develop an international convention and exhibition centre, a shopping mall and five hotels with a capacity for 2,000 rooms on the piece of land owned by Bomas in Langata.
The hotels will include a seven star hotel situated on a 13.5 acre piece of land.
Public-private partnership
The development will be pursued through a public-private partnership and are expected to be complete by 2017. The Government has already invited local and international firms to bid for participation in the project. The project has been split into two parts – the firs is construction of the conference and exhibition centre that will be financed by government but run by a management firm. The second part will be the construction of a shopping mall and five hotels that will be done by private investments on land provided by the government.
“The investors for Part 2 will be allocated Special Lease Use for the proposed project,” said the Ministry in an advertisement.
