The Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Rebecca Miano, arrived in Lamu on Friday, the second day of the annual Lamu Cultural Festival, which runs through Saturday.
She was received at Kibaki Stadium by Lamu Deputy Governor Dr Mohamed Mbarak Bahjaj, who officially declared the festival open at the opening night gala held on Thursday.
In her address to the media, CS Miano underscored how the national government is working together with county governments, like Lamu’s, to strengthen cultural tourism. This, she said, is not just a local project, but part of a broader national strategy.
This is supported by Kenya’s draft National Tourism Strategy (2025), which targets five million international tourist arrivals by 2030, up from approximately 2.4 million in 2024.
The strategy explicitly singles out “cultural, wellness, adventure, and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions)” tourism as key growth pillars, thereby moving the tourism sector beyond the traditional wildlife-safari model.
“For a long time, Kenya has been known for the beach and the bush,” she said. “That’s why we are promoting culture, adventure and sports tourism, so we are working with the counties to develop more products.”
Miano also urged other counties with cultural festivals to plan and advertise early so foreign tourists can make arrangements to attend. She highlighted that this year’s Lamu Festival has drawn people from across Africa, East Africa, Europe, and the Americas, a testament to its growing international appeal.
On the topic of infrastructure, she revealed the government’s concrete commitments, under President William Ruto, whom she described as Kenya’s foremost tourism ambassador, to invest heavily in transport and aviation to improve accessibility.
In line with this, the national tourism strategy calls for enhanced connectivity, including upgraded airports and roads, to bolster tourist inflow. These improvements are part of a wider push to make Kenya more accessible, whether visitors come by road or by air.
Miano also pointed to the government’s ambitious tourism targets: from 2.4 million international tourists in 2024 (a 15% increase over 2023) to 5 million by 2027.
She tied this growth to higher earnings (tourism revenue rose from KES 377.49 billion in 2023 to KES 452.2 billion in 2024) and to plans for creating more tourism jobs. Currently, employment in the sector stands at over 1.5 million, according to the draft strategy.
Turning to Lamu in particular, CS Miano praised the county’s cultural heritage as a powerful magnet for tourists. She highlighted Lamu Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and lauded event organisers for their diligence. In a light moment, she showcased the signed henna art on her hand, calling it a beautiful expression of Lamu’s living Swahili culture.
Her arrival coincides with the Governor’s gala set to take place on Friday evening at the Lamu Polytechnic and underscores the economic importance of the festival.
In Lamu County, more than 30% of the 143,920 residents rely directly on tourism for their livelihoods.
In closing, the CS reiterated that cultural tourism remains a central pillar of Kenya’s growth ambitions.
She called on counties to align with the national strategy, saying that with better infrastructure, early promotion, and strong partnerships, Kenya can continue to attract tourists not just for wildlife, but for culture, heritage and experience.
