Balala forms taskforce to reform Utalii College

Tourism CS Najib Balala (PHOTO; FILE)

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has appointed a task force to reform the 47-year old Kenya Utalii College.

The task force to be chaired by Tourism and Wildlife Chief Administrative Secretary Joseph Boinett will undertake institutional assessment of the college and identify opportunities to secure its future.

Utalii College with over 60,000 graduates from around the world who serve in the local and international hospitality and tourism industry has been struggling lately due to under-funding.

In the Gazette notice on Friday, Balala (pictured) directed the team to review the global landscape of the hospitality training, identifying current trends and practices as well as models of training.

The task force will receive views from hospitality, academic and tourism players on the model the college should adopt.

Balala asked the task force to make recommendations on Utalii College’s mandate and its role in the tourism sector, the sustainability of its operations, financing and sources of funds and governance and management models.

Other members of the task force include Krishna Unni, Barnabas Wamoto, Ms Shazmin Manji, Mehdi Morad and Ms Lina Ayako. Kinuthia Ngugi and Munyithya Kimwele will be secretaries.

“The ministry will finance the operations of the task force that will conduct its work expeditiously and submit its report to the CS within 30 days of the date of its appointment,” read part of the Gazette notice.