Business
Laikipia county leadership led by Governor Joshua Irungu and the Assembly Speaker Lantano Nabaala has beseeched residents of Nyahururu town and the business community to moot ways to accommodate an influx of visitors expected in September.
Over 5,000 delegates who include MCAs and staff from the 47 county assemblies will be attending the County Assemblies Sports Association (CASA) games slated for late next month. Laikipia Assembly Speaker Lantano Nabaala said should Nyahururu fail to host the sports extravaganza, due to lack of preparation, then the ten-day extravaganza will be moved to Bungoma County.
“If the games are moved to Bungoma because Nyahururu is not ready, then Laikipia will then wait for a long time before getting another chance to host them,” Lantano said. Governor Irungu asked the business community to consider converting some rental houses and empty rooms into Airbnb’s for the ten-day festival.
“Our survey shows the available rooms in Nyahururu and its environs can only accommodate 2,000 people. Where will the rest of the visitors sleep?” wondered Governor Irungu.
Nyahururu was picked to host the annual games after Laikipia MCAs felt that hosting them in Nanyuki town that has adequate accommodation would deny the leaders and staff of the County Assembly allowances due to a rule that requires allowances to only be paid if one travels a distance of 50km radius away from their workstation.
Hosting the games, that involve sports like golf, soccer, athletics, indoor games, tug-of-war and cultural music, would be a test in terms of accommodation, security, health and transport for Nyahururu town that was recently conferred with municipal status.
Speaker Lantano and Governor Irungu urged residents not to allow the golden opportunity to slip away saying that hosting the games would ensure millions of shillings will be in circulation in the town during the period the visitors will be around.
The two leaders were speaking to business stakeholders who converged at the Nyahururu Country Club for briefing on the possible multi business ideas they can exploit by providing various services to the visitors during the ten-day sporting extravaganza.
Laikipia County Executive for Education, Youth and Sports Stephen Kisorio said hosting the CASA games successfully will put the County in pole position to bid for hosting Kenya Inter-Counties Sports and Cultural Association (KICOSCA) games and also Kenya Youth Inter-Counties Sports Association (KYISA) games in future.