File image of CS Alfred Mutua.
Tourism and Wildlife CS Alfred Mutua has censured Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials for harassing tourists at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
In a video seen by KDRTV, Mutua explained the KRA officials treat tourists harshly upon arrival into the country noting that it discourages them from coming to Kenya again.
“When a tourist come, amebeba camera mbili, amebeba viatu, anataka kukuja shopping akifika pale anaambiwa na KRA afungue mfuko yake. Underwear yake inashikwa na kalamu inawekwa kando. Wanatafuta sijui camera mbili, sijui kiatu, sijui hii perfume umeletea nani hapa,” Mutua said.
He added, “We harass our visitors when they come to this country at the airport and we wonder why they don’t come back.”
The Tourism CS went on to question why the harassment does not happen in other African countries yet they collect the same taxes KRA.
“Kwani Rwanda and South Africa don’t collect taxes? You go to Dubai they don’t harass you. Why are they harassing our visitors here?” CS Mutua posed.
“Mama chupi yake inatolewa inawekwa hapo kando hadharani na watu wa KRA hadharani. They will not come back to Kenya.”
He observed that it is time Kenya made tourists feel welcome by stopping some practices adding that he will be working to prevent that mess from repeating itself again so that Kenya’s tourism can get back to the top.
“We have to present the right optics, people have to get that warm feeling. You go to Singapore today nobody harasses you. You go the the Seychelles, the Maldives, nobody opens your bag because you are a tourist. Those are some of the things that we have to correct and now you have the right leader to correct it,” he stated.
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