There are so many reasons why celebrities visit Africa. It could be the beauty of the wild open plains, the array of wildlife or the friendly African people. Whatever the reason, Africa happens to be the world’s most popular go to destination when thinking of a vacation. Kenya is one such destination that is gradually attracting the attention of the outside world. In the recent past, many celebrities have flocked into the country for reasons ranging from entertainment to diplomacy. This begs the question whether Kenya is the best destination for most renowned celebrities in the world. There must be something about Kenya that celebrities have discovered. Below are a list of top 10 celebrities who have visited the county in the past:
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg is widely known as the CEO of Facebook, but he is also an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur and by far the 5th richest person in the world. Zuckerberg landed in Kenya in September 2016 in his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa to meet entrepreneurs and developers. He also visited Nairobi’s iHub, the most famous of Africa’s innovation hubs. He was elated to learn about mobile money where Kenya happens to be a world leader. A photo of Zuckerberg eating ugali and fish, one of Kenya’s favorite dish, did rounds on the internet and many people were amused.
Sir Richard Branson
Sir Richard Branson is an English businessman, investor as well as a philanthropist who expressed interest in entrepreneurship at a very young age. He is the founder of Virgin Group, which Virgin Airline is part of, and which controls more than 400 companies. Sir Branson has visited many countries, but Kenya seems to be his favorite. To demonstrate his love for Kenya, he opened Mahali Mzuri luxury tented camps in the heart of the Masai Mara in 2013, to protect large areas of the land that act as pathways for Africa’s famous Great Migration.
President Barack Obama
Former President Barack Obama, who was the 44th President of the United States has Kenyan roots because his father is Kenyan. That could be reason enough to have him visit Kenya but he has another mission as well. Mr. Obama visited Kenya in 2015 as the first sitting president to do so. He came to hold talks on trade and business, attend the entrepreneurship summit and youth forum and also hold talks on radicalization and counter-terrorism.
Michael J. White
An American actor and martial artist, Michael. White has featured in numerous films and TV series. He is also the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a motion picture. In October 2014, Michael alongside other actors visited Kenya in a low key function to promote their upcoming movie titles Skin Trade. The event was attended by invites only and was held at the Villa Rosa Kempinski.
Madonna
Madonna is an American singer, actress and businesswoman who achieve popularity by pushing the boundaries of popular music. This she did through imagery in her music videos that later became a fixture on MTV. Madonna visited Kenya in July 2016 to help promote maternal health and girls’ education. She met the first lady, Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta to learn about the Beyond Zero Campaign, which targets the elimination of maternal and child mortality in Kenya. During her stay she also visited East Africa’s largest slum, Kibera.
Yvonne Chakachaka
Lovers of African music with a contemporary inclination can attest to the fact that Yvonne Chakachaka is one of the best singers. She is a veteran South African artist and a legend in her own right. She has represented Africa in various fonts with her powerful vocal cords. She is identified as an African queen of music. Yvonne was appointed the Unicef Ambassador of goodwill, working under the United Nations. She visited Kenya in December 2015 and paid a visit to State House, where she met First Lady Margaret Kenyatta before presenting the Unicef’s goodwill message.
2 face Idibia
2 face Idibia, born Innocent Uja Idibia is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur. He is one of the successful Afro pop artists in Africa. 2face, who changed his stage name to 2baba was in Kenya in September 2016 to participate in the 201 Coke Studio Africa. His wife, who flew all the way from Nigeria, treated him to a surprise lunch in Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi to celebrate his birthday as he turned 41.
Trey Songz
Just like Nigerian 2 face Idibia, Trey Songz jetted into Kenya late 2016 for a session of the 2016 Coke Studio Africa. He is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He made headlines when he posted pictures of him taking a ride in one of the matatus in Nairobi. He expressed his love for the Kenyan matatus when he decided to take a ride in one. He was also in Kenya to record a collaboration with Kena’s Nyashinski.
Jose Mourinho
Jose is a Portuguese professional football manager as well as a former football player. He is the manager of Manchester United Football Club. Regarded as the greatest successful managers in the world, he was named the best Portuguese coach of the century by the Portuguese Football Club. Mourinho visited Kenya in 2010 for a holiday at the Kenyan Coast.
The above mentioned are the top 10 celebrities who have visited Kenya in the recent past. This goes to say that Kenya still remains the top most travel destination for most foreign visitors.