American rider on a mission to market Kenya

American motorcyclist Jerry Finley, who is on a tour of 13 African countries. He is helping market Kenya as a tourist destination.

Photo/DANIEL NYASSY

Story by DANIEL NYASSY
Publication Date: 2008/04/01

An American motorcyclist is on an ambitious mission to help redeem the reputation of Kenya as a tourist destination.

Mr Jerry Finley was in the country recently after the post-election violence that brought the tourism industry to its knees.

He is on a tour of 13 countries and says that he defied concerted negative publicity about Kenya during the post-election period to visit the country and see for himself what was happening.


American motorcyclist Jerry Finley, who is on a tour of 13 African countries. He is helping market Kenya as a tourist destination. Photo/DANIEL NYASSY

“When I arrived in Kenya, I was surprised at the inaccuracy of the situation as potrayed by the international media.”

Mr Finley said he realised that Kenya is not only a beautiful country, endowed with numerous tourist attractions, but also has very hospitable people.

Peaceful and safe
“I want to reassure people who plan to visit Kenya, that the country is peaceful and safe to visit, contrary to reports they read about or watch on international television channels,” he said.

Mr Finley says negative stories about Kenya, in the US media, had prompted him to include the country in his 13 African countries cycling tour, “in order to get the true picture and first-hand feel”.

The US media, he pointed out, reported negatively about Kenya, even after the peace deal was signed between the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement.

Mr Finley says he will carry the message with him through the Horn of Africa, north, central and southern African states of Egypt, Zimbabwe, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and South Africa, among others.

Relaxing at the Hemingway Beach resort in Watamu, when the Nation team bumped into him, Mr Finley said: “The US media portrayed and painted a very bad image of Kenya. It reported that Nairobi was a no-go spot. I got very curious and decided to come and see for myself.”

Many of his friends in the US also discouraged him from visiting Kenya, saying he was taking a risk of a lifetime. But he said he was determined to travel.

“Many friends told me Kenya was having one of its worst tribal revolutions and that there was a big war here. They told me strongly, don’t go there,” he says.

Mr Finley was surprised by the calm and tranquillity that he found when he stepped into the city. He said he camped somewhere near the city for a few days “in order to observe the fire in the city”.

He said what he saw disapproved the home media reports.
“I walked freely in Nairobi, even in some slum areas. Absolutely no problem, no incident,” says Mr Finley, who comes from California and is a well travelled person.

Enjoyed everything
The only “ugly” incident was when his motorbike, a huge 104 KTM-950 100 horse power adventure bike made in Austria, was hit by a land cruiser in the city.

He says it was quickly “fixed at a jua kali garage” and he continued with his journey.

“I love nature and I immensely enjoyed everything in Kenya, the donkeys, goats and cows on the roadside, the potholes on the roads, the cheerful people, the culture and the wild game. Everything is fascinating.

I think Kenya is a great country and not a trouble country as always portrayed in our media,” he said.

Mr Finley, who was in the company of other motorcycle riders from Holland and other countries, says he will definitely come back to Kenya.

“It is my honour to market the country to tourists from America and other countries after what I have experienced,” he says.

His advice to the Ministry of Tourism: “I think the country should try motorcycle tourism, which I think can do great. There are hundreds of professional motor riders in the US, Europe and elsewhere, who would love to come and do their jinx in the African jungle.”

Mr Finley, who is a member of a riders club back home, began his tour in the Horn of Africa and hopes to end it in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He has travelled widely across all the continents and describes his experience in Kenya as “one of the most captivating”.

“From the mountainous sites and valleys in the highlands and the Rift Valley, to the bare savanna grassland, to the dry and stony countryside, to the magnificent blue beaches, it’s all marvellous,” he says.

He says he enjoyed the local food and the short lived company of local people, particularly the rural people.

“Go east, go west, go north, go south, Kenya is the best.”
He wishes to be back soon, not on a motorbike, but in one of the planes bringing in tourists from the US.

Elsewhere, marketing Kenya as an international and domestic front has started paying off. A good number of Kenyans took time to savour the plenty found within their borders over Easter holidays.

The domestic tourism front, that had for a long time received little marketing, recorded an upsurge, as Kenyans poured in to the national parks and game reserves to spend their time.

Hotels and restaurants, that received a beating in revenue during the post-election violence experienced increased bookings.

Data on domestic tourism has remained negligible all year round in the past. This has left most tour operators and hospitality players to peg their focus abroad.

Late last year, the Ministry of Tourism unveiled the Domestic Tourism Council to spearhead the campaign. Part of its strategies was to work ways of impacting directly on the numbers of domestic tourism.

Although the post-election violence put on hold some of its planned activities, the council was incorporated into the National Tourism Crisis Management team.

The committee launched a website, Tembea Kenya, and a logo dedicated at promoting domestic tourism.

Additional reports by Joseph Bonyo

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