Do you know of a really unique attraction in Kenya – probably never before seen? Then you should be talking to the 50 Treasures of Kenya Trust, a charitable organisation based in Ngong, Kenya.

The trust, in collaboration with the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the National Museums of Kenya (NMK), have embarked on an ambitious campaign to identify 50 most unique tourist attractions in Kenya in preparation for the celebration of 50 years of Kenya’s independence which will be marked in 2013.

The project will be guided by veteran German photographer and honorary ambassador of tourism for Kenya, Mr Hartmut Fiebig. Hartmut, who has worked as a photographer in Kenya for the last 21 years, says the project is designed so that each attraction coincides with a year of independence.

The idea is to try to improve access to the largely untapped wealth of tourist resource in the country. The world only knows about 30% of what Kenya has to offer visitors to the country.

It is not clear yet where ideas for sites and attractions should be submitted but the basic process will involve naming these sites which will then be entered on a proposed list of treasures that will be used to select the final set that will be announced by an official committee early next year. This is expected to boost tourism which has been registering a steady growth compared to last year.

Meanwhile, KWS has been announcing some pretty exciting plans for the sector – some which it plans to roll out soon and others, in coming years. First, will perhaps, be a new special security unit that will see extra security added around its parks during this festive season.

The tourist protection unit will thwart any efforts by terrorists and kidnappers to tamper with the merry making of visitors to Kenya’s famous national parks and reserves. KWS also has plans to increase its ranger size from the current 3,500 to 5,000 by 2015.

While doing this, it will also increase its fleet of vehicles to 1,000 and acquire 14 light aircraft that will be stationed at its regional headquarters in Nairobi to enable faster response to emergencies. There are also plans to set up the country’s first forensic lab next year to help curb the rising cases of poaching.

The service has also been quite busy acquiring land for its park expansion programme. The latest is a plan to acquire 6,000 acres of land in Soysambu which will be used to expand the Lake Nakuru National Park hence linking it to the Naivasha National Park.

What do you think about the 50 Hidden Treasures project? Let us hear your thoughts by leaving your comments below.