By Dickens Wasonga.

The Western Kenya Tourism Circuit requires 15 million shillings to fully exploit its vast potential, the Chairman, Lake Victoria Tourism Association (LVTA), Daniel Okumu has revealed.

Okumu said during an interview held at Parkview hotel that they plan to hold a cultural dinner next Friday in the lakeside city expected to run from 6pm to midnight and will promote traditional dishes, African attire and music.

Accompanied by Parkview Hotel Manager, Robinson Anyal and LVTA CEO, Anthony Ochieng’, the chairman and Anyal disclosed that the event seeks to promote not only African culture but also food security, research activities on traditional foodstuff as well as cultural tourism which is sustainable.

However, Anyal admitted that although the area has relied on Eco-tourism, it was not one of its strong areas and so the need to focus on the promotion of cultural tourism which will be done every week.

Anyal decried the fact that western culture has been slowly killing the African culture and this has given them a new impetus and zeal to strive to change our eating habits if we stop young people aged as low as five years currently dying from cancer related complications.

The CEO disclosed that the Region’s cultural Event is also set for November 21to 23 at Jomo Kenyatta sports Ground and will culminate in a gala night after a boat racing competition.

“During the much anticipated event we have lined up many activities including cock fights, wrestling and tero buru (traditional event) usually conducted using animals to exorcise demons after burying a prominent person among the Luo community”, he explained.

Anyal pointed out that the Western Kenya Tourism Circuit has for decades been neglected thus making foreign and local visitors prefer going to the coast and so appealed to the media to help showcase and effectively market the region to fully exploit its abundant potential.

Ochieng on his part disclosed that they have projected a budget of 10 million shillings to fund the Western Kenya Cultural Festival and has worked closely with the ministry of tourism, Culture and Heritage among other government agencies who are also expected to come on board.

It emerged at the forum that the organizations and government agencies charged with promoting tourism activities in the area have not effectively tackled the water hyacinth menace as has been done in the neighboring countries of Uganda and Tanzania to open up the lake for sports tourism.

According to LVTA chairman, Okumu the hyacinth weed has been made to spread faster owing to the persistent dumping of waste products from Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO), Kisumu City Council and effluent from the numerous industries within Kisumu.

Okumu remembered with nostalgia the good old days when a steam boat from Kisumu to Homa Bay could take a very short time as opposed to now when some of the big ships have been marooned in the lake owing to the water hyacinth.

“ We cannot continue allowing the Western Kenya Tourism Circuit to be neglected but must play a proactive role to jump start the abundant potential by encouraging locals to invest in the sector by building modern hotels to provide accommodation before looking up to foreign investors.

END.