The Thraka Nithi cultural festival often dubbed the Ura Gate Cultural Festival, an annual celebration of Kenya’s Tharaka community, recently concluded with a vibrant display of cultural heritage, art, and unity.
The event, set in the scenic Tharaka Nithi County, brings together 6 communities from the region to honour the traditions, customs, and stories.
This year’s festival was marked by rich traditional dances, folk songs, and performances that illustrated the deep history and cultural significance of the Tharaka people.
The colourful attire worn by performers, adorned with beads and unique patterns, symbolised the distinct identity of the community, known for their craftsmanship and artistic expression.
The Kenya Wildlife Service said that they hoped the festival would help market the region globally. The organisation also emphasised the need for peace within the community to avoid human-wildlife conflict.
Report by Sarafina Robi
This comes as the Kenya Tourism Board works toward achieving 5.5 million international tourist arrivals and growing the tourism sector contribution to Kenya’s economy to Ksh 1 Trillion Annually by June 2028.
In the strategy, the sector seeks to grow Kenya’s market share in Africa to 6 % from the current 2.26% and increase employment contribution from 7.9% in 2022 to an annual growth 10%.
The tourism marketing agency is targeting to move from 6.4 % recorded last year to 10% by 2027 in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Kenya’s national parks, maintained by the Kenya Wildlife Service continue to play an important in this growth.
