The German government will help Kenya to revive the tourism industry, Germany Foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier said on Saturday.
Dr Steinmeier said that the power-sharing deal signed by President Kibaki and Raila Odinga was the only recourse to peace.
He said this when he met a delegation from Kenya led by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.
Mr Kalonzo was accompanied by Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula, MPs Kilemi Mwiria, Najib Balala and Kiema Kilonzo.
“The German government helped to ensure Kenya had peace,” Mr Kalonzo said, adding that Kenya’s participation in the International Tourism Bourse was intended kick start the country’s tourism industry after post-election violence resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 people and the displacement of 250,000 others.
He thanked the German government for supporting the tourism industry which saw post-election arrivals drop by 90 per cent.
Mr Kalonzo said Parliament would pass the necessary legislation to legitimise the grand coalition government, and he said constitutional reforms would be completed in a year.
Meanwhile, German minister for Economic Co-operation and Development Heidemarie Wicorek-Zeul said her government would offer humanitarian assistance to Kenya in areas of agriculture, water and housing.
On the other hand, Mr Musyoka said, the government and the Kenya Wildlife Service had decided to suspend plans to raise entrance fees to Kenya’s national parks in order to encourage people to visit and as an incentive to tour operators.
The Germany ambassador to Kenya Walter Lidner urged Germany tourists to visit Kenya, saying that the country was safe.
nationmedia.com
