Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Natural Resources

MANAGING PERSONNEL

CEC Tourism, Culture & National Resources

Mrs. Hon. Jennifer Nawoi
jennifer.nawoi@turkana.go.ke

Director of Tourism

Portrait Shemmy Ekuwom-1

Shemmy Ekuwom
shemmy.ekuwom@turkana.go.ke

Director of Culture, Arts and Heritage

James Kuloba
james.kuloba@turkana.go.ke

Deputy Director of Culture, Arts and Heritage

Philip Lokaala
philip.lokaala@turkana.go.ke

Deputy Director of Natural Resources

Pauline Pusiye
pauline.pusiye@turkana.go.ke

ABOUT THE MINISTRY

Our Vision

To be globally competitive in tourism, culture, heritage and natural resources preservation and protection.

Our Mission

To promote and facilitate a sustainable and vibrant environment for tourism, culture, heritage and protection of our diverse natural resources.

Our Core Values

  • Team spirit, mutual cooperation and strategic partnerships
  • Professional self conduct
  • Efficiency and effectiveness of operations
  • Integrity, transparency and accountability
  • Quality service delivery to all
  • Innovation and creativity
  • Proactive leadership
  • Social equity

DIRECTORATE OF TOURISM

Key Mandates and Strategic Objectives

  • Overall planning, directing, overseeing, coordination, evaluation and implementation of programmes and projects
  • Initiate, formulate, overview and implement department policies
  • Follow-up on the implementation of bilateral and multilateral tourism agreements and protocols
  • Undertake market surveys, tourism research and profiling of all tourist attractions in the County
  • Take a lead role in marketing and promotion of Turkana’s tourism products on domestic and international markets
  • Maintain linkages with tourism stakeholders
  • Provide technical advice on matters pertaining to tourism
  • Coordinate classification of hotels, restaurants and other tourism establishments

Programs and Measures

In a bid to market Turkana Land as a preferred tourist destination, the directorate implements a Tourism Product Development & Diversification program as well as a Tourism Destination Marketing & Promotion program, including the following measures:

Legal & Administrative:

  • Implement the tourism bill and policy
  • Develop an integrated tourism strategic plan
  • Create community based organizations at the attraction sites


Marketing & Promotion:

  • Carry out a destination branding and promotion program through media advertising, festivals and tournaments, brand ambassadors, media and trade partners, familiarization trips, joint promotions with airlines and corporates as well as regional conferences
  • Identify high impact international and national tourism trade shows and exhibitions to display Turkana’s tourist products
  • Develop new distribution channels for Turkana Land’s tourism products, e.g. the internet, catalogues and airlines


Business Development:

  • Reach out to tourism stakeholders to sensitize and provide them with incentives
  • Hold forums and promote public private partnerships for business tourism development


Research & Education:

  • Undertake market research, including baseline surveys and mapping
  • Train tour and hospitality stakeholders, i.e. tour guides, ground handlers, hoteliers and waiters


Product Development & Diversification:

  • Support the Pilgrimage Home of Mankind Safari Program
  • Construct hiking trails in Loima Forest and on Central Island
  • Continue to drive the Turkwood Film Project which is marketing Turkana Land as an international and domestic filming destination


Infrastructure:

  • Develop a signage system and erect signboards at all tourist sites
  • Construct curio shops at Nariokotome, Eliye, Lokiriama, Lodwar, Letea, Lokori and Kalokol
  • Construct an entry point for the lake zone
  • Construct an exhibition centre and a walk-path at the Turkana Boy monument
  • Construct eco toilets on the beaches of Eliye, Imprezza, Long’ec, Natole, Kalimapus, Kataboi, Nachukui and Lowareng’ak

DIRECTORATE OF NATURAL RESOURCES (FORESTS AND WILDLIFE)

Key Mandates and Strategic Objectives

  • Identification, mapping, gazetting and development of forests and national reserves
  • Protection, conservation and restoration of forest and wildlife resources
  • Increase of tree cover and species diversity for sustainable development
  • Intensify research of tree species and forest products that promote social and economic development
  • Development and enforcement of environmental policies and legal frameworks for the protection of flora and fauna
  • Management of invasive species, especially prosopis

Strategies and Measures

In order to achieve environmental and socio-economic benefits through increased tree cover and improved management of forests and tree resources in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), the Directorate prioritizes the following strategies and measures:

Legal & Administrative:

  • Formulate specific by-laws and legislation for the county level
  • Develop and implement county forest management plans
  • Issue operation licenses for private farms and county forests on community land
  • Maintain county forest and farm forestry records, databases and information
  • Enforce forest legislations within the county forests and on private farms


Research:

  • Identify suitable land for new forest reservations and National Reserves


Conservation:

  • Create and develop new county forests and wildlife conservancies
  • Increase tree cover on private, community and county lands through tree planting
  • Rehabilitate fragile, degraded ecosystem and forests in community lands


Business Development:

  • Develop nature based enterprises within county forests
  • Promote public-private partnerships and management practices in county forests
  • Develop the charcoal industry within county forests and on private farms
  • Develop forest products from invasive species, especially Prosopis species


Infrastructure:

  • Develop and main county forest infrastructure

GENERAL CONTACTS

Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Natural Resources

P.O. Box 26-30500
Lodwar

Internet

E-mail: tourism@turkana.go.ke
www.visitturkanaland.com
@turkanaland
#tembeaturkana
#welcomebackhome

Physical address

Cooperative House, next to County Assembly Chambers, Lodwar