Ministry Of Tourism Plans To Boost Ruma National Park As Flagship Tourism Destination

Published on August 13, 2025

The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, successful collaboration pinch Homa Bay County, is accelerating efforts to found a flagship tourism installation astatine Ruma National Park. This inaugural intends to elevate nan park’s domiciled arsenic a cardinal characteristic of Kenya’s Western Tourism Circuit, drafting attraction to nan rich | biodiversity and unsocial experiences nan area has to offer.

Strategic Focus connected Diversifying Kenya’s Tourism

The scheme to upscale Ruma National Park is simply a cardinal portion of Kenya’s broader strategy to diversify its tourism offerings. Traditionally, Kenya has been known for its formation resorts and safaris. However, location has been a concerted effort to research caller tourism products, pinch Homa Bay providing a compelling illustration of combining wildlife and sports tourism.

Tourism Cabinet Secretary (CS) Rebecca Miano highlighted nan value of moving beyond nan accepted formation and safari experiences. She underscored really Homa Bay has successfully integrated wildlife and sports tourism, bringing together 2 powerful drivers of visitant attraction.

“Homa Bay has fixed america a unsocial fusion of wildlife and sports tourism. We person demonstrated to Kenya and nan world nan wealthiness of experiences that this region offers,” said Miano. The tourism sector, according to nan CS, is fresh for diversification, and Homa Bay’s illustration is impervious of its potential.

Digital Mapping and Marketing Plans

To support this diversification, nan Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife is prioritizing integer trading initiatives. Through partnerships pinch region governments, Miano emphasized nan value of integer mapping of tourism products. The Ministry intends to marketplace Homa Bay’s tourism attractions utilizing world platforms to tie successful much visitors and grow nan region’s visibility globally.

Miano further stated that collaboration pinch nan section authorities was key. “We are committed to moving intimately pinch Governor Gladys Wanga and her team. Our extremity is to leverage world platforms to summation visitant numbers and guarantee Homa Bay’s tourism thrives,” she affirmed.

The Western Tourism Circuit and Ruma National Park

The Western Tourism Circuit, which encompasses Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisumu, and different counties astir Lake Victoria, is quickly becoming a important pillar of Kenya’s tourism growth. Central to this circuit is Ruma National Park, a unsocial destination known for its uncommon biodiversity and stunning landscapes.

Ruma is location to endangered species, including nan Roan Antelope, pinch astir 27 individuals safely conserved wrong a predator-proof sanctuary. In summation to nan Roan Antelope, nan parkland is nan only spot successful Kenya to big Rothschild’s giraffe populations extracurricular of Group Ranches adjacent Lake Nakuru. Ruma besides boasts some achromatic and achromatic rhinos, pinch 58 rhinos thriving successful nan park, further cementing its position arsenic a captious biodiversity hotspot.

Enhanced Infrastructure and Accessibility

Ruma National Park is making awesome strides successful accessibility, pinch 65 kilometers of roads and a 1.2-kilometer functional airstrip, ensuring visitors tin easy research nan park. These infrastructure improvements are a important portion of nan ongoing efforts to position Ruma arsenic a awesome tourer attraction successful Kenya.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director General Dr. Erustus Kanga described Ruma National Park arsenic a sanctuary dissimilar immoderate different successful nan country. “Ruma is simply a unsocial place, traditionally known arsenic nan Lambwe Valley, offering visitors uncommon experiences successful a pristine environment,” he said.

Partnership pinch County Governments and National Tourism Ambitions

CS Miano stressed nan value of region partnerships successful realizing Kenya’s tourism ambitions. The Ministry intends for 5.5 cardinal visitors annually, a target that requires each region to create astatine slightest 1 flagship tourism merchandise to world-class standards by year-end. “Homa Bay’s Ruma National Park will beryllium among those flagship attractions,” Miano said.

In nan meantime, nan Annual Devolution Conference, taking spot from August 13-15, is expected to make a important economical boost for Homa Bay. With complete 10,000 delegates successful attendance, nan arena is already creating a ripple effect connected section businesses, arsenic hotels and guesthouses successful nan lakeside municipality are afloat booked, signaling a promising tourism upsurge.

Economic Impact and Long-Term Prospects

The improvement of Ruma National Park arsenic a flagship attraction will not only lend to nan diversification of Kenya’s tourism offerings but besides thrust section economical growth. The initiatives underway will bolster Homa Bay’s tourism infrastructure, summation world exposure, and create occupation opportunities for nan section population.

The successful improvement of Ruma National Park could besides animate different regions successful Kenya to research akin collaborations, contributing to a much balanced and resilient tourism assemblage that leverages nan afloat scope of nan country’s earthy and taste assets.