The Board

Richard K. Langat - Chairman

Hon. Safina K.Tsungu , CBS is the Principal Secretary, state Department for Tourism

Honourable Safina Kwekwe Tsungu, CBS, was appointed the Principal Secretary for Tourism in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife on 14^th January, 2020, by His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Hon. Tsungu is charged with the following responsibilities: Formulation of national tourism policies, plans, strategies, guidelines and goals; Tourism Development and Promotion that is marketing Kenya to both local and International tourists, Tourism Financing, Support infrastructure development for sustainable growth of tourism, and Tourism Research and Monitoring to develop innovative tourism products.
Hon. Tsungu has served in various organizations and institutions both in civil society and the Public sector. Notably, she served as the Principal Secretary for Gender in the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender (March 2018- January 2020). She worked as the County Executive Committee Member for Trade and Co-operative Development in Kwale County, worked with Action Aid International –Kenya for more than 8 years as a women’s rights coordinator. Hon. Tsungu also served the East African Community as a legislator in the second East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and chaired the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources for two and a half years. Hon. Tsungu pioneered the establishment of the EALA Women’s Parliamentarian’s Forum which she chaired for 5 years. She is a holder of a Master’s degree in International Trade Policy and Trade Law from Lund University, Sweden, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from The University of Nairobi. She is an Alumni of Alliance Girls High School.

Beth Njeri Ndungu – Representing the National Treasury

Beth Njeri Ndungu – Director

Beth Njeri Ndungu holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Kenyatta University and a BA in Economics & Business Studies from Kenyatta University. She works at the National Treasury, Kenya in the Financial and Sectoral Affairs Department. She previously worked in the UN Agencies and Americas UK & IFAD Divisions of the Resource Mobilization Department. She previously also worked as a Competition Analyst in the Competition Authority of Kenya and as a Monopolies officer in the Ministry of Finance, Kenya She has Certificates in International Trade and Development, Project Planning and Implementation, Economic Policy Analysis, Best Practices in Financial Processes and Controls, Results Based Management among others.

Zahra Bahlewa Moi – Director

Zahra Bahlewa Moi - Director

Zahra Bahlewa Moi is a Kenyan businesswoman, married, with three children. She is alumni of the United States International University – Africa (Global Executive Master of Business Administration and BSc. (Hons) International Business Administration) and has attended an executive course on innovation from the IMD Business School – Switzerland. Zahra holds several Directorships covering various sectors where her key mandate is managing the most important assets of the organizations in a professional manner with an intention to maximize productivity and efficiency. Zahra is also the Managing Director, Chesiki Farm Limited. Other Directorships she holds includes:

Agriculture – Migotyo Plantation Ltd.
Aviation – Sicham Aviation Ltd.
Property – Sweeny Estate Ltd.
Hospitality – award winning premier French and gourmet restaurant, The Lord Errol

Macdonald Obudho – Director General KNBS

Mr Macdonald Obudho - Director General KNBS

Macdonald G. Obudho is a long serving public servant who has risen through the ranks from Economist /Statistician II to the current position of Director General, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. He holds a Master of Science degree in Statistics from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the same university. He is currently pursuing PhD course in statistics.

Mr. Obudho has vast experience in conducting population and housing censuses including the first ever Kenyan digital census that was conducted in 2019. He has competency in designing and carrying out statistical sample surveys and compilation of official statistics. He has successfully spearheaded many surveys during his long service in the Bureau.

He has experience in top management spanning over 13 years and has a number of certificates to his name that arise from short and long courses, workshops, conferences and seminars attended both locally and abroad.

He serves in a number of Boards including Hazina SACCO Ltd. As a result of exemplary work in design and execution of the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, Mr. Obudho was honoured with a State Award; The Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS).

Nahashon Mubichi Mwongera – Alternate to Executive Director – KIPPRA

Nahashon Mubichi Mwongera – Alternate to Executive Director - KIPPRA

Mr. Mwongera is a Research and Development professional with over 12 years experience covering both public and private sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Mathematics) degree from Egerton University, a Master of Arts (Economics) degree from the University of Botswana and is currently a PhD (Economics) student at Kenyatta University. He possesses hands on experience in conducting national-wide surveys; reviewing public sector polices; implementing market research methodologies for product and new innovative ideas development (including market intelligence, competitor analysis, mystery shopping, product attribute ranking); conducting training needs assessments; Training of trainers; preparation of technical and financial proposals; results-based project monitoring and evaluation; and writing of technical reports. He is multi-skilled in environment, natural resource and Tourism-related policy research; analyzing large quantitative and qualitative data sets; and econometric analysis. Currently, Mr. Mwongera is a Researcher / Economist at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) where his areas of research focus include Tourism, Environment and Natural Resource Management, and Financial sector analysis.

While at KIPPRA, he has actively participated in research dissemination forums, workshops, policy round tables, policy task-forces and technical working groups. In 2014, he was the team leader in a study that estimated the contribution of meetings, incentives, conference and exhibitions (M.I.C.E) tourism to the Kenyan economy; and in 2015 he was part of the technical team that prepared the Kenya Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan. Prior to joining KIPPRA, Mr. Mwongera worked in the private sector as a research manager and consultant focusing mainly on market research for product development in financial services, covering Banks, Microfinance Institutions and SACCOs.

Mr. Richard Mwarema -Alternate to Principal Secretary State Department of Tourism

Mr Richard Mwarema

Mr.Richard Mwarema

Holds a BA in Economics from the University of Nairobi and Master’s degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies, Hague Netherlands.

Kenneth Kiprono-Independent Director

Mr. Kenneth Kiprono

Kenneth has an MBA (Management Information System) and BComm Finance from the University of Nairobi He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and has vast IT and audit experience in the banking industry. He has vast IT and audit experience in the banking industry having worked in several capacities at Kenya Commercial Bank including ICT Security Manager, ICT Audit & Risk Manager, Country Manager, Internal Audit & Risk(KCB Sudan) before becoming the Lead IT & Audit consultant involved in researching, evaluating, designing and implementing training and consultancy services at Jacca Consulting & TE Ltd.

Caesar Handa -Independent Director

Mr. Caesar Handa

Caesar Handa is a highly trained and experienced communications professional. He has a Bachelors in Anthropology and a Masters in Communications. He has led several communications and research consultancies with 20 years’ experience spanning several countries in Africa and beyond in research and communication, project management, report writing and in market and social research. He has specialization in the development and implementation of communication strategies and has worked in government, corporate, civil society and academic institutions projects. Mr. Handa is a director with Strategic, a leading research and communications firm in the region. He also has a passion in sports development, environmental management and working with communities in development programs. He is a strong member of several school and church boards.

Janet Mbete-Independent Director

Mr. Janet Mbete

Janet N. Mbete holds a Bsc. in Public Relations and Communication from Moi University. She did a course in Good Governance with different counties in the USA, namely Maryland, Virginia, Washington and Winshita County in Kansas. While in America she volunteered her free time working for women Safe houses and feeding centers for the poor. She has served as a Board member for several schools and as the coordinator, Kwale County for National Council of Women of Kenya. Janet has also served as a Nominated Councillor, Mombasa County and is actively involved in women empowerment in politics and women groups.

David G. Gitonga – Acting Chief Executive Officer

David G. Gitonga holds Masters degree in Tourism Management, Bachelor of Science in Tourism and a Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship. He has 20 years experience in the public service. He has served in the Ministry of Tourism mainly in the area of policy, planning, strategy and innovation. He was the National Co-ordinator in the development National Tourism Blueprint 2030 which is the overarching strategic document the entire sector is aligning to. He has also played a key role in the development of other policy, legal and strategic documents of the sector including the National Tourism Policy, Tourism Act 2011, tourism product diversification strategies among others.

Gitonga’s leadership in tourism also includes having set up the Regional Tourism Office for the North Rift in 2002 and managed it as the Regional Tourism Officer up to 2007. It is under his leadership, that tourism was mainstreamed as a key economic activity in the region. The momentum created for tourism growth in that region extended to other regions where tourism was previously little known particularly Western Kenya and tourism is now a priority sector in most of the country.

In April 2014, Mr. Gitonga was seconded to the then newly created Tourism Regulatory Authority where he was involved in setting it up and in developing its regulations. He then went on to start its Regional Office for Mount Kenya and Upper Eastern based in Nyeri being the first Regional Manager from April 2014 to August 2015 when he was recalled back to the Ministry of Tourism.

He was deployed to the Tourism Research Institute in January 2018 as the Acting Chief Executive Officer where he is leading the process of setting up the operational structures and the strategies for the Instuitute to deliver on its mandate