KENYA: Beautiful Jacinta Nzioka-Mbithi New KTB Acting CEO,Jacinta Is Good For Kenya Tourism

Government of Kenya has appointed Mrs. Jacinta Nzioka-Mbithi as the acting Chief Executive Officer at Kenya Tourism Board (KTB). The appointment is with immediate effect. The appointment was announced by Tourism Cabinet Minister Najib Balala. This follows the exit of Mr. Muriithi Ndegwa whose term has expired after serving in the helm of the country’s tourism marketing agency for two full terms since October, 2009.

Until her appointment, Mrs. Jacinta Nzioka – Mbithi has been the acting Director of Marketing for the last three years. She has over 10 years in international tourism destination marketing. Cabinet Secretary Balala while making the appointment thanked Ndegwa for the diligent service he has offered the Government during his two term period in office.

He said Mrs Nzioka-Mbithi will remain in the acting position until a competitive recruitment exercise is completed by the Board.

Mrs. Nzioka thanked the Minister for appointment and assured the industry and stakeholders of KTB’s s commitment in driving tourism sector on its recovery path. “A lot of recovery programmes have been put in place and together with the industry players, we are fully committed to their implementations,” said Nzioka

Nzioka is one of the founding Executive Directors of the Kenya Association of Women in Tourism (KAWT) and member to the board of Ecotourism Kenya. She holds an MBA in Strategic Management with Marketing and a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management from Moi University and a post graduate Diploma in Marketing of Services from Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands.

The news of Jacinta’s appointment was received with joy yesterday all over Africa. Every member of Teamafrica all expressed joy that her efforts to promote Kenya allover Africa has been recognised by the Cabinet Secretary.

A message from Carmen Nigibira, the coordinator of the East African Platform (EATP) congratulating Jacinta says, ‘EATP wishes to extend our sincere congratulations to Jacinta on her new appointment as the Acting Managing Director of Kenya Tourism Board.

‘Considering the great importance of the excellent relations between EATP and KTB in the tourism sector, we are convinced that during her mandate, these will continue to deepen further. KTB as part of the secretariat of the Joint Tourism Marketing Committee (JTMC) has continued to show great support in the integration process in the Northern Corridor’.

Continuing, Carmen explained that the ‘KTB has been on the front-line in supporting the Single Tourist Visa (STV) and the use if Identity Cards for travel between Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda as well as championing regional tourism. The future of tourism is embedded in regional integration, whether it is in EAC or beyond. We look forward to our joint collaboration in promoting East Africa as a single tourism destination with all the five partner states’.

Another founding Member of Teamafrica, Sandra Idossou, had this to say of the appointment: ‘My heartfelt congratulations to a dynamic Tourism Woman I’m extremely proud of. Jacinta Nzioka Mbithi’s appointment as the new Acting MD of KTB comes as no surprise because of her passion and hard work in promoting MagicalKenya. I wish her good luck and believe that she will do her possible best in promoting Kenya not only to other parts of the world but more especially to Africans. Africa for Africans indeed. Jacinta, you can always count on me! All the best.’

Mr. Denis Gathanju expressed his best wishes in a short word: ‘Congratulation’, while Ikechi Uko prays that the good work Jacinta had been doing connecting Kenya to Africa will now be given greater impetus. ‘Jacinta is good for Kenya Tourism’