Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife cabinet secretary Alfred Mutua has vowed to replace all equator signs in Kenya.
The CS who made this announcement via his official X account hopes that the move will earn Kenya more money from local and foreign tourists.
Further, he compared Kenya’s equator signages to those in Ecuador, saying that Kenya’s signages were of low quality.
“For local and foreign tourists to pay top shillings for services, we also have to get our act together. The presentation of our Equator signages for example, compared to that of Ecuador, is low quality. Together with stakeholders, I will fix this shame – Chap Chap,” he stated.
Moreover, Mutua shared a comparison of Kenya’s signages compared to Ecuador’s, which showed a glaring difference.
While Kenya’s signages showed a dilapidated metal structure written, ” Jambo Kenya, Hakuna Matata, 0 (degrees) equator crossing,” Ecuador’s equator mark displayed a well put together structure.
In line with this, CS Mutua showed other signs that pointed to tourists where the equator lay, however, they were not as grand as compared to Ecuador’s.
Ecuador’s Equator Monument
Notably, the grand structure displayed by CS Alfred Mutua is known as the Ecuador’s Equator Monument.
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The monument was built as a tribute to the French scientists who determined the shape of the earth in the 18th century.
Moreover, it towers 30 m high and is a monument to the equatorial line.
However, the monument does not mark the actual site as the actual path of the equator lies a little further north.
Surrounding the monument is a tourist center that is a perfect imitation of a colonial Spanish town known as Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City).
Notably, it is documented that the monument is one of the most visited places in Ecuador with almost 600,000 domestic and foreign visitors per year.
Alfred Mutua’s Innovation Promises in New Docket
Nonetheless, this announcement from the CS is in line with the vision he shared with the country after he received the docket of Tourism and Wildlife.
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The CS while taking over the ministry promised innovative ways of revamping tourism in Kenya.
“Innovative ideas from all stakeholders are key to unlocking the great potential in our Ministry. We welcome all ideas that will help us improve the quality of life for common mwananchi,” Alfred Mutua said
Additionally, he promised that in his care, his ministry would serve as a top foreign exchange earner for the country.
“Our ministry will strive to be the top foreign exchange earner. To this end, we will revamp and beef up all forms of tourism: medical tourism, sports tourism,” he added.
