NAIROBI, Kenya, May 26 – Brand Kenya Board is calling on the government to be more hospitable to investors to allow increased job creation.
Brand Kenya chairman, Hannington Gaya says being more open for investments would enable the country to attain its Vision 2030 goals of becoming an industrialized state in the next two decades.
"When you know or you have hope, what will happen then maybe it will reduce your pessimism. Part of we have already done, is infrastructure developments such as roads, you have seen the Thika highway when nobody believed it could ever be achieved, you have seen the developments in Nairobi to unlock the traffic jams that end up costing businesses billions of shillings," Mr Gaya said.
Speaking on Capital in the Morning, Mr Gaya said the board is continually becoming more influential in encouraging Kenyans to change their perspective of the country.
"You must communicate regularly and in a coordinated manner as a government, as government agencies and as a people; that is what is involved in country branding. It also has an internal dimension for the people. You must listen to the people what is really at the bottom of their hearts, what is disturbing them. Try to influence government policies, government strategies and government programs to ensure the people are well catered for and the country is moving forward at a steady pace," he said.
The parastatal is under the Ministry of Information and not the Ministry of Tourism. Mr Gaya however did mention that Brand Kenya might soon be moved to the under the supervision of the Office of the President.
Brand Kenya\’s mandate is to ensure that an integrated national brand is created, harnessed and sustained in the long term.
It was established to restore Kenya\’s image after the 2007 Post Election Violence.
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