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November 20, 2018 www.mygov.go.ke NEWSFOCUS | 31 very nearly wasn’t By the 40km mark, however, her body gave in. She had to stop for water, her strength almost all gone. It was by sheer willpower, and encouragement from a teammate, that she resumed the race and aimed for the finish line. Surprisingly, Ndereba finished sixth overall. It was baptism by fire. She had learnt her lesson. Winning a full marathon was no walk in the park. She would have to put in a lot more training and be prepared to endure pain during the race itself. The following year, 2000, she was back in Boston, much wiser and more prepared to take on the race. She won easily this time, and repeated the feat in 2001 before dropping to second in 2002. She got her act together and won again in 2004 and 2005. Her victories earned her the moniker ‘Catherine the Great,’ which stuck fast in racing circles. Through it all, she says, she stayed true to her Christian faith, always thanking God first after every win. In the Chicago Marathon of 2001, Ndereba set a new women’s marathon world record of 2 hours, 18.47 minutes. Her time the previous year was 2:21.33. She knew she had the will to break the world record, but it never occurred to her that she could actually go on to do it. She had been training towards the feat, but was still I will never forget that race. I couldn’t imagine I had beaten a world champion. You see, I was a nobody in athletics at the time - Catherine Ndereba stunned when it finally happened. So was the rest of the world. She was finally on the world map. And at last, Kenyan athletics officials took note and included her in the 2003 World Athletics Championships team in Paris and the Athens Olympics Games in 2004. Ndereba did not let them down, winning the marathon gold in the Paris World Championships in 2003. This was the first time that a Kenyan female athlete had won the marathon at a major world event. The following year, she won the marathon silver medal in the Athens Olympic Games. That same year, she also won the Boston Marathon. She then won the silver marathon medal in the Helsinki World Athletics Championships in 2005, and took her fourth Boston crown in the same year. In 2006, she won two races – the Osaka Marathon and the Bogota Half-Marathon in Colombia. She went on to win the gold in the World Championships in 2007, but settled for silver in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Her performances for the country were sterling, and she attributes her victories over the years to her never-say-die spirit; her belief that she could always do better in the next race. Ndereba may be retired from representing her country in international meetings, but the superintendent at the Nairobi West Prison still spends many hours training daily to prepare for the few races she still runs. She usually gets six months’ leave from official duty each year for her athletics pursuits. She finished third in a 2012 Beijing meet and took part in two other races in Asia that year. In 2015, she took part in her first full marathon in three years and finished seventh in Japan. As far as Ndereba is concerned, the sky is the limit. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 world with a national park within its boundaries - the Nairobi National Park. The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) responsible for ranking the performance of MICE tourism considers the size of the conference determined by the profile and number of international delegates participating. Lately, Kenya has played host to high-profile events that have not only had positive impact on the rise of conference tourism numbers, but build onto the brand equity of the country. Indeed, these events have raised and boosted confidence on the destination among the investors and visitors alike, in addition to positively projecting the country on the global map. It is noted that besides KICC being home to these conferences, it is worth noting that individual hotels and facilities across major towns in the country also host conferences. One of the major ingredients that have encouraged the bidding of events is improved security that has restored the confidence the country has enjoyed over years. We are optimistic that this positive momentum will be maintained throughout the year, as our overall tourism figures continue to record an upward trajectory. How do we tap into the luxury/top end segment of Kenya’s tourism options? With the guidance of the National Tourism Blueprint (NTB) 2030, we are encouraging the private sector, assisted by the counties, to create luxury products and make them exclusive, for the discerning traveler. This should avail products for the rich in the variety they desire to have (rules of classification should apply). We are keen to promote Kenya to high-yield segments, such as bird watching. We have facilitated our marketing agency Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) to attend exclusive events organised for the high-end segment, such as the annual bird fair in UK. They also participate in IGTM Expo to tarAffordable Healthcare for all Millions of Kenyans have access to free medical services offered by the Government through the NHIF pool. Every mwananchi is assured of access to this universal health cover, which continues to insure their greatest wealth - their health Manufacturing The Government has opened up local production by creating an enabling environment for private sector-led industrial development and a business climate capable of attracting local and foreign investments. Food Security. Through livestock insurance & fertilizer subsidies, the Government has lowered the cost of production. More Kenyans have subsequently taken up agriculture, boosting the country’s GDP. Affordable Housing Through collaborative efforts with the private sector, while using a supportive policy, the government has lowered the affordability gap in the housing market and improved finacing for developers and users. get affluent golf enthusiasts, run luxury safari promos and editorials in golf magazines showcasing the upmarket camps on regions such as Mara and Laikipia. Likewise, KTB carries out honeymoon and wedding promotions in our key source markets of US, UK, Uganda, India and China. Film makers would rather shoot movies in South Africa because government policies on taxes are more favorable than in Kenya. Are there plans to review to attract them? We are encouraging film producers to come to Kenya and take advantage of the filming incentives the government is offering. a) Tax Incentives: The tax-related options that could be considered include: i. VAT Refunds - VAT refunds on goods and services imported or purchased during shooting of the film in Kenya. ii. VAT Exemption -VAT exemption on production expenses incurred in Kenya. Qualifying expenses include all expenditures related to pre-production, production and post-production. iii. VAT Reduction - VAT can be reduced to between 5% - 10% for foreign productions. b) Cash Rebates: Cash rebates can be calculated as a percentage of the total filming budget or a fixed minimum local spend to be incurred in Kenya. The rebates can also be based on production expenses on goods and services spent in Kenya during shooting of the film. The expenses must be incurred by a Kenyan company registered with both the Kenya Film Commission and the Kenya Revenue Authority. C) Single Window Licensing Policy: • The “single window” licensing policy is critical for film producers and Kenya should adopt this model to make the process of acquiring a filming license as simple and fast as possible. The single window policy is applicable for all filming locations. • The process of seeking several licenses from several Government departments, for filming in public locations, is time consuming and prohibitive for potential film production companies. • Therefore, government is looking into modalities of creating a one-stop shop to have licenses issued at one point. • Film-induced tourism has the potential to increase tourist arrivals from India into Kenya exponentially. • Films produced in Kenya can continue attracting visitors several years after the actual shoot/ production, which then can contribute greatly to the achievement and sustenance of 3 million tourists per annum. • We are actively engaging and collaborating with other arms of government, especially the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (MICT, to promote Kenya as the destination of choice for film production. How do we position Kenya as a peaceful destination regardless of adverse travel advisories? The government has sought to counter the effects of unnecessary travel advisories by improving security in our key tourist destinations, as well as in the country generally. We have moved to quickly respond to these travel advisories by providing information to all stakeholders on the actual situation on the ground, to avoid general stereotypes. We have also ensured that we effectively manage any crisis in a timely manner. We have successfully converted media into a trusted partner over time, by sharing information accurately with them and on time. We have facilitated our marketing agency Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) to attend exclusive events organised for the high-end segment, such as the annual bird fair in UK - Joe Okudo

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