Siaya eyes tourism as revenue from fishing dips

Corporate News

 

By MOSES ODHIAMBO

In Summary

• Siaya also plans to promote polygamous households as well as lakes Namboyo and Sare, which border Lake Kanyaboli, to boost tourism.
• The county has partnered with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to conserve the lakes, which are home to more than 36 bird species.
• Tourism experts say the region has a potential for eco-tourism given its rich cultural heritage and beautiful scenery.

Poor performance in fishing and agriculture industries has forced Siaya to shift attention to tourism as it seeks new revenue streams.

 

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The county hopes to lift the status of Lake Kanyaboli, Africa’s second largest oxbow lake and Kogelo — US President Barack Obama’s ancestral home — to attract international investors.

Siaya also plans to promote polygamous households as well as lakes Namboyo and Sare, which border Lake Kanyaboli, to boost tourism.

The county has partnered with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to conserve the lakes, which are home to more than 36 bird species.

“Lake Kanyaboli is one of the tourism features in the western circuit that has not been put to effective use,” KWS senior warden Catherine Wambani told the Business Daily in an interview.

Traditional homesteads on Akara Hills are also being considered as tourist attractions to grow the sector in the county.

Tourism experts say the region has a potential for eco-tourism given its rich cultural heritage and beautiful scenery.

The KWS has already gazetted Lake Kanyaboli and its environs as a national reserve. Ms Wambani said that they plan to set up revenue collection system to boost income from tourism.

The agency said the wetland in the nearby Yala swamp serves as home to several endangered species of wildlife which are unique to the region.

“With the sitatunga antelopes, birds, squirrels, and tree species unique to semi saline environment, the region stands to benefit from the attractions,” she said.

“The wetland holds a lot of potential for bird watching because Kenya attracts a mere 500,000 out of the seven million bird watching international tourists.”

Ms Wambani said that Lake Kanyaboli also lies in the migratory path of many birds, making it easy to market.

Siaya governor Cornel Rasanga told the Business Daily that proper management of tourist attractions in the county was key to the growth of the sector.

“We have a number of classic hotels, but the bed capacity is still below our expectation. We encourage investors to approach us to chart way forward on how we can increase their number,” he said.

“We also have the homes of Odera Kango and Argwings Kodhek, which are full of artifacts. Kodhek was the first (African) lawyer in Kenya. His home has a collection of books, which can be transformed into a library.”