Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair Gives Najib Balala New Job
As the Tourism Advisor, Balala's main role will involve advising the institute on tourism strategies, policies, and programs.
Marvin Chege 
Former United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has appointed former Tourism, Wildlife, and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala to his organisation, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).
The former CS announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he was appointed as its Tourism Advisor.
He added that he will be part of a global team of strategists, policy experts and delivery practitioners that will work with political leaders and government to drive change across the world.
Former Tourism CS, Najib Balala. /FILE
"Honored to have been appointed by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) as a Tourism Advisor part of a global team of political strategists, policy experts, and delivery practitioners who work with governments and political leaders around the world to drive change," he wrote.
As the Tourism Advisor, Balala's main role will involve advising the institute on tourism strategies, policies, and programs.
Blair, full name Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair KG, served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007.
He served as Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 1997 and had various shadow cabinet posts from 1987 to 1994. Blair was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007.
He was the second longest-serving prime minister in post-war British history after Margaret Thatcher and the longest-serving Labour politician to have held the office.
The Tony Blair Institute (TBI), commonly known by its trade name the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, is a non-profit organisation Blair started. It is not a political party, but it is heavily influenced by his ideology and personal style.
Blair launched the Institute as a "new policy platform to refill the wide open space in the middle of politics" aimed at combating a "frightening authoritarian populism" that he stated is undermining the West's belief in democracy.
He mentioned that the organisation will focus on re-energising the centre ground, African governance and Middle East policy, and fighting religious extremism.
Balala was the longest-serving Minister in the Kenyan Government having served 25 years in service, with 17 years as a Minister, of which 12 years as the Minister of Tourism.
He started his public service career after being the mayor of the city of Mombasa in 1998 and served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Mvita Constituency, Mombasa County, between 2002 and 2013. During his tenure as Mvita MP, he also served as a Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services from 2003 to 2004, and Minister for National Heritage from 2004 to 2005.
In 2013, he also served as the first Minister in the Ministry of Mining and is credited with delivering the Draft Mining Bill in 2014, the first policy and institutional framework review of Kenya’s mining sector since 1940.
In addition to his ministerial duties, Balala has advocated for community empowerment, and promotion of cultural and local heritage, with enthusiasm for conserving the Swahili culture.
Balala, an EGH holder, was in 2022 appointed by the Fauna & Flora International (FFI), an international wildlife conservation charity organization, as its vice president. The organization's role involved protecting threatened species and ecosystems worldwide.
On September 2023 former Tourism and Wildlife CS was appointed as a director, to serve on the board of Vipingo Ridge, a luxury resort in Kilifi, Kilifi Luxury Resort confirmed his appointment in a letter.
Balala was appointed alongside Ken Luusa and Andrew Musangi, who cannot take up the role due to his new role as Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Chairperson.
![CCTV Shows 7 US Cops Pinning Kenyan Man, Choking Him To Death [VIDEO]](https://viraltea.co.ke/uploads/images/2023/03/image_380x226_641aea59ca999.jpg){kind=small}
