MOMBASA, Kenya – The Kenya-Uganda Tourism Summit 2026 edition has come to a close as the private sector players ink five major deals.
The 5th Uganda–Kenya Coast Tourism and Innovation Summit, held at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa, attracted the attendance of Uganda’s Minister of State for Tourism Suzan Nakawuki Nsambu, the Permanent Secretary, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Affairs, Uganda’s Ambassador to Kenya and the Consul General in Mombasa, Ambassador Herbert Kiguli, alongside senior government officials and private sector players.
Private sector players between Kenya and Uganda signed five memoranda of understanding linking their tourism associations.
The MOUs included KATA with Uganda Tour Operators and Travel Agents Association; KATO with Association of Uganda Tour Operators; KAHC with Uganda Hotel Owners Association; PSFU with KNCCI Mombasa; and KNCCI Mombasa with Tourism Operators of Kenya.
For Kenya, the deals presented an opportunity to pair coastal and marine products with Uganda’s wildlife and gorilla trekking, allowing operators to sell multi-country itineraries and retain spending within the region.
However, operators warned that high airfares remain the biggest constraint. Consul General Amb. Kiguli said: “We have talked to ourselves for too long,” urging stakeholders to push policy proposals to decision-makers.
Kenya Coast Tourism Association’s (KCTA) Julius Owino stated that the biggest hindrance is the cost of connectivity.
“We need to have a conversation in terms of policies that should drive seamless and affordable air travel,” said Owino.
Joan Ndungu of Destination Diani said tourists were already shifting to using road owing to expensive charges by air.
“We are having tourists travel by bus from Uganda and connect by train from Nairobi, just to cut costs,” he said.
TOSK Chairman Raymond Cheruiyot called for removal of bottlenecks and harmonisation of standards.
Held under the theme “Unlocking Tourism Opportunities: Resolving Policy Bottlenecks through Technology, Youth and Seamless Mobility across East Africa,” the summit reviewed implementation of Article 104 of the EAC Treaty on free movement and showcased digital products by young innovators.
According to the Uganda Tourism Board, Kenyan visitors to Uganda rose from 466,902 in 2024 to 519,041 in 2025, while Kenya Tourism Board figures show Ugandan arrivals to Kenya grew from 201,623 to 234,556, making Uganda Kenya’s second-largest source market.
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