NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 22 – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was absent from the Baringo Cultural Festival and the Kimalel Goat Auction on Monday due to illness, with Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku representing him at the event.
Speaking on behalf of the Deputy President, CS Ruku conveyed Kindiki’s greetings to the residents.
“I have been sent by your Deputy President, who is not feeling well. He has told me when I get here, I send my greetings to the people of Baringo,” he said.
CS Ruku further assured attendees that the Deputy President remained committed to supporting the grand community event despite his absence.
“He has sent me with a lot of money to buy Christmas goats. So, when you see the Deputy President away, know that he has sent me and he is with you,” he stated.
The Baringo Cultural Festival and Kimalel Goat Auction are major highlights in the county’s social calendar, drawing crowds eager to celebrate local culture, traditional performances, and livestock trade.
The Deputy President was last sighted in a public event on 19th December as chief guest during the passing-out parade of 147 KWS cadet officers at the KWS Law Enforcement Academy in Manyani, following nine months of paramilitary training.
During the event he hailed Kenya’s shift to bold, modern and science-based conservation, saying the government is strengthening wildlife protection through AI-enabled surveillance, drones and satellite-linked patrol systems as part of wider reforms at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
“Today is a historic day as we gather here to witness the passing-out of 147 young men and women who now join the ranks of Kenya’s conservation officers,” Kindiki said, urging the graduates to serve with courage, discipline and honour.
He said the government has undertaken “some of the most ambitious, science-led and community-centred reforms” in the country’s conservation history, including the deployment of elite ranger units, expansion of the conservation workforce and upgraded rapid-response capabilities.
The Deputy President said KWS has also modernised its services through the eCitizen payment platform, which he noted has improved transparency, efficiency and visitor experience, while supporting increased revenue for reinvestment in conservation and tourism facilities.
“Wildlife is not only our heritage. It is a symbol of our sovereignty, a pillar of our global identity and a powerful engine of our economy,” he said.
Kindiki linked the reforms to the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), arguing that wildlife and tourism remain key drivers of jobs, business growth and community livelihoods.
He said tourism performance had improved in 2024, and reiterated the government’s target of welcoming five million visitors by 2027, supported by efforts to diversify tourism beyond the traditional safari circuit into culture, sports, events, adventure and MICE tourism.
But he warned that tourism depends on security and stability, and said the government’s conservation approach is anchored on coexistence, sustainability and shared prosperity.
