06 Jul 2023

The 60-year-old Kenya National Media Group (NMG) has proposed that its flagship event, Kusi Ideas Festival, should come to Botswana in December. 

NMG made the proposal Wednesday during a courtesy call on President Mokgweetsi Masisi Wednesday. 

The group’s chairperson, Dr Wilfred Kiboro, said when making the request Wednesday that “Botswana has success written all over it, boasting one of Africa’s most successful continuous democracies and its most storied post-independence economic achievements, and is better placed to be the festival’s entrance to Southern Africa.”

Dr Kiboro said Botswana, represented the best democratic practices which included peaceful transition to power, respect for the rule of law as well as low corruption. 

Having successfully hosted international summits like Forbes Under 30, Botswana would have another big opportunity, as it positioned itself to be a conference hub, by hosting the festival, he said. 

He added the festival would shift the spotlight to Botswana, provide a platform for the country to tell its own story and an opportunity to woo investors. Government is expected to announce its decision. 

NMG is a Kenyan based media house which, on its 60th anniversary in 2019, launched the Kusi Ideas Festival, as a Pan-African ideas transaction market, and in hopes of turning Africa’s challenges into opportunities through sharing of those ideas. 

The festival has previously been held in Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda. This year will be its fifth. Ends