It is time to stop viewing Mount Kenya merely as a hiking challenge and start seeing it as an untapped economic goldmine. In a compelling new proposal, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo argues that Kenya is leaving billions on the table by failing to install a cable car system, a model that has revolutionized tourism in South Africa.

The proposal draws a direct comparison to Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain, where the aerial cableway has ferried over 28 million visitors since 1929. Amollo contends that a similar investment in Mt. Kenya would open the majestic peaks to millions of "non-climber" tourists—the elderly, families, and time-pressed travelers—who currently bypass the destination entirely.

Lessons from Table Mountain

The numbers from the South imply a missed opportunity of epic proportions.The Table Mountain Cableway:

• Capacity: Transports 800 people per hour.
• Revenue: Generates millions of dollars annually, funding conservation and park management.
• Accessibility: Turns a grueling 2-hour hike into a 5-minute scenic glide.

The Economic Multiplier

"We are sitting on a dormant asset," the argument goes. A cable car would not just sell tickets; it would spur a hospitality boom in Nanyuki, Meru, and surrounding counties. While purists may argue for the sanctity of the climb, the economic reality is that accessibility drives revenue. With Kenya’s tourism sector recovering, a flagship project of this magnitude could be the differentiator that puts Mt. Kenya on the global bucket list, right next to the Swiss Alps and Table Mountain.