The Kenya Wildlife Service has started unique initiative that will see Kenyan sportsmen and women market the country as a tourist and investment destination whenever they go abroad on national duty.

KWS Director Julius Kipng'etich disclosed this twining plan for sports and wildlife when he presented the remaining Kenyan contingent to this year's All Africa Games in Algeria with T-shirts and other promotional materials.

The team members will be spoilt for a choice when they return after the KWS director offered them an all-expenses paid safari to a park of their choice from Kenya’s 64 national parks and reserves.

Mr Kipng'etich, a member of the Vision 2030 technical committee, said they appreciated all the athletes' achievements to put Kenya on the world map describing them as ‘best ambassadors’.

“Two of Kenya’s most famous things—wildlife and sports—are meeting. They both provide people with a source of earnings as well as give them a sense of national pride,” Mr Kipng’etich said.

He suggested that Kenya should create other such partnership with other products like tea, coffee, flowers and pyrethrum where the country is a market leader.

Mr Kipng’etich faulted Kenyans for being modest about their achievements. “Egypt’s major thing that supports the economy are pyramids. How can an assembly of stones beat our world class game parks and reserves?” he asked.

He said KWS would engage the Ministry of Sports in a structured way to market Kenya’s tourist and investment opportunities.

Mr Joshua Okuthe, the Kenya National Sports Council chairman, admitted that Kenyan athletes had not promoted their country enough.

Mr Andrew Toboso, the KWS Head of Marketing and Business Development, said other countries like Ethiopia and South Africa were using the wildlife/sport combination to market themselves.

The last batch of the Kenyan team comprising Taekwondo, Karate and the athletics team is scheduled to leave tomorrow for the 9th All Africa Games in Algiers.