Travel/Tourism
William Ruto, A Threat to Kenyan Tourism Industry?
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
By description, Kenya, at least, has a palpable difference in tourism features compared with its neighbours in the East African Community (EAC), which is an intergovernmental organization composed of seven countries in the region.
Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda enjoy, to a considerable extent, relative peace and stability in the region. Determined to ensure an increasing flow of tourists, travellers and visitors to Kenya, the government supports with consistency the tourism industry by adopting flexible rules and regulations.
Up until late November 2023, Kenya maintained strict visa requirements for all foreign and African travellers to the country. But President William Ruto wanted to change the rules by announcing visa-free, first to show off his burgeoning dreams of transforming the economy, an important commitment towards improving the industry, a position that went viral on many social media platforms and across the world.
It could also be described as an attempt to attract more visitors to the wild nature with vast surrounding forests and the fascinating geographical landscape. As I research and read through reports, Kenya is seriously addressing unique challenges and setting the stage for the future. Kenya has seen a strong performance in tourism, with figures constantly rising. In 2022 for instance, Kenya’s tourism performance continued on a recovery path after the Covid-19 pandemic which engulfed it. International tourist arrivals were 1.5 million approximately which represents a 70.45% increase as compared to 2021 arrivals of 870,500.
The government continues prioritizing the promotion of regional tourism to enhance the performance of the African markets. It focuses further on the development of niche products such as cruise tourism, adventure tourism, culture and sports tourism. The development of niche products has a huge potential to boost competitiveness and the value of our tourism. Undoubtedly, tourism in Kenya is the second-largest source of foreign exchange revenue following agriculture.
The Kenyan highlands are one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa. The highlands are the site of the highest point in Kenya and the second highest peak on the continent: Mount Kenya, which reaches a height of 5,199 m (17,057 ft) and is the site of glaciers. Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m or 19,341 ft) can be seen from Kenya to the south of the Tanzanian border. Besides these, the “Big Five” game animals of Africa, that is the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros, and elephant, can be found in Kenya and in the Masai Mara in particular.
→ What’s happening? Late last year, Kenya’s President William Ruto announced that Kenya would drop visa requirements for all citizens from around the world. The move was forecast to accelerate tourist arrivals to 2.5 million from 1.5 million in 2022 and boost Kenya’s tourism revenues by 200%.
→ How has this played out? The rollout of the new visa-free regime has been marred by confusion, lack of information, and complaints from travellers around the world.
→ How is it supposed to work? Kenya replaced visa applications with Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for all travellers to the country, except those from within the East African Community (EAC). As of Jan. 7, close to 10,000 ETA applications had been received with 4,046 approved.
→ So what’s wrong with the new system? Prior to the switch, Kenya had visa-free agreements with 51 countries, many of them in Africa. Visitors from these countries, who previously only needed their passports to enter Kenya, now have to apply for the ETA, including paying a $34 fee and submitting information including bank statements, hotel bookings, and flight details.
→ Who’s most concerned about this in Kenya? Players in the travel and hospitality sector are worried that the switch and the associated tedious process and costs may turn away tourists from Kenya as a destination.
→ What’s the government’s response? Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the new process had cut visa processing times from 14 days to 72 hours for the ETA, provided equal treatment for all visitors, and lowered visa application costs from $50 to $34.
In conclusion and on a bit of politics and demography – the population was estimated at 51.5 million in 2023. On 13 September 2022, William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president after winning 50.5% of the vote. His main rival, Raila Odinga, got 48.8% of the vote. Kenya has close ties with its fellow Swahili-speaking neighbours in the African Great Lakes region. One advantage is that Kenya’s relations with Uganda and Tanzania are generally strong, as the three countries work toward economic and social integration through common membership in the East African Community. *With additional reporting from Martin Siele in Nairobi, Kenya.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Emirates has become the first airline cargo carrier to deploy the Boeing 777-300ERSF passenger-to-freighter converted aircraft.
The aircraft (A6-EBK) will enter commercial service with a flight from Hong Kong to Dubai carrying over 100 tonnes of cargo, a statement from the airline operator stated.
The converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF offers 100 tonnes of payload capacity and 811 m³ of cargo volume, representing a 25 per cent increase in cargo volume over the Boeing 777-F production freighter.
At 47 pallet positions, the converted aircraft also accommodates 10 additional pallet positions when compared with the Boeing 777-F production freighter, making it ideal for transporting volumetric cargo such as e-commerce goods, which currently constitute around 20 per cent of global air cargo tonnage with further growth projected in the next few years.
The converted Boeing 777-300ERSF is the sixth new freighter, following five Boeing 777-F production freighters, to join Emirates SkyCargo’s fleet since March 2026.
As part of its ambitious expansion strategy, Emirates SkyCargo will also be taking delivery of five additional Boeing 777-F aircraft as well as one additional converted Boeing 777-300ERSF by December 2026.
Emirates SkyCargo will also be introducing three additional converted Boeing 777-ERSFs into its fleet in 2027.
“The induction of the first converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF into operational service represents the next step in the expansion of our fleet and operational agility.
“We are optimising our fleet assets by converting older Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft to meet the growing demand for air cargo capacity to transport goods rapidly across the world,” Emirates SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President, Badr Abbas, commented.
“Combined with our growing fleet of Boeing 777-F production freighters, we have already been able to scale our global freighter network from just over 40 destinations in February this year to 62 destinations currently and growing.
“We are providing our global customers with scalable cargo capacity and ultimate flexibility and connectivity when moving cargo to and through our hub in Dubai,” Abbas added.
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