Nyeri prepares for major scouts event
The Deputy Head of Mission Minister Counsellor and Consul General in the Korean Embassy Koh Jae Myong, members of the World Scout Parliamentary Union (WSPU) together with Nyeri county government staff at the Outspan Hotel on July 20, 2022.
Kenya has started preparations for hosting the 11th General Assembly for the World Scout Parliamentary Union (WSPU) in 2025 in Nyeri County.
It will be the first time the assembly will be held in Africa.
Organisers and other international visitors have started trooping to Nyeri to oversee preparations for the event.
Nyeri County has also received international visitors monitoring the meeting preparations.
On Wednesday, the Deputy Head of Mission Minister Counsellor and Consul General in the Korean Embassy Koh Jae Myong and members of WSPU Kenya Chapter surveyed the county and held meetings with various scout movement players.
The Deputy Head of Mission Minister Counsellor and Consul General in the Korean Embassy Koh Jae Myong (centre) alongside Korean members of the World Scout Parliamentary Union (WSPU), the Executive Director WSPU Kenya Chapter Poppins Misoi (right) and the Nyeri Tourism Chief Officer George Mwangi ( far left) infront of Lord Baden Powell's grave in Nyeri on July 20, 2022.
The delegates visited the Paxtu Building at the Outspan Hotel which is the cottage where the Scouts Founder Lord Baden-Powell lived until his death, the Baden Powell’s grave and the proposed venue of the WSPU General Assembly- Kagumo Teachers College.
They also checked how the country had prepared itself in terms of planning the venue, hospitality and entertainment.
The event will be attended by more than 2000 delegates including Members of Parliament and other representatives from different parts of the world. WSPU is in 106 countries globally.
The forum will include a youth assembly and a main assembly for the parliamentarians.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with Governor Mutahi Kahiga, WSPU Kenya Chapter Executive Director Poppins Misoi said a local committee had been formed to conduct the preparations for the global event.
The Deputy Head of Mission Minister Counsellor and Consul General in the Korean Embassy Koh Jae Myong leads scouts and members of the World Scout Parliamentary Union (WSPU) in honouring Lord Baden Powell at the Paxtu cottage at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri on July 20, 2022.
He said the Union had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the county government to hold the global event.
“The agreement also involves the construction of the Baden Powell Centre prior to the event which will include an innovation hub and camping facilities for local scouts in a bid to prepare locals for the event,” he said.
The General Assembly was last held in Bangkok in Thailand in 2018 and had initially been slated for Nyeri in October 2020 but was postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tourism Executive Diana Kendi said the county is liaising with local hoteliers in preparations for hosting the delegates.
“We are also taking this as a tourism opportunity for the Mt Kenya region. The delegates will also tour our natural expeditions such as Mt Kenya,” she said.
