NAIROBI, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the country's heritage sites and monuments to increase annual tourist numbers from an average of 2 million to 5 million.
Speaking in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, during a ceremony celebrating heritage sites and the return of stolen artifacts previously held in overseas museums, Ruto said that safeguarding Kenya's cultural assets, which have earned global recognition, would benefit the country significantly.
Kenya has eight heritage sites listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but these sites face ecological and human-induced threats, Ruto warned.
The eight UNESCO-listed sites in Kenya include Fort Jesus in the coastal city of Mombasa, Lamu Old Town on the northern coast, the sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests in Kilifi County, the Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site in western Kenya, Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest, Lake Turkana National Parks, the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley, and the recently inscribed Gedi Ruins in Kilifi County.
Ruto said that the government will allocate funds to build perimeter walls around these sites to prevent encroachment and rehabilitate nearby roads to improve access for tourists, researchers and archivists.
According to Ruto, Kenya ranks fifth in Africa in terms of the number of heritage sites and is determined to harness their untapped potential to transform rural livelihoods.
"Our ongoing efforts to enhance the authenticity of heritage sites across the country aim to strengthen Kenya's global stature as a premier tourist destination," Ruto said. ■
