Former Kenyan ambassador Bruce Madete is the tycoon behind Sosa Villa and Sosa Cottages, one of the most impressive hospitality ventures in Vihiga County.
Madete, who served Kenya as a diplomat in several countries, including Nigeria and Italy, built the cottages on a sprawling six-acre piece of land in Gisambai, about 4 kilometers from Majengo town along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway.
Madete started as Kenya’s acting High Commissioner to Nigeria in 1998.
He also represented Kenya in various capacities as a diplomat, especially in West African countries like Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
In 2001, he became Kenya’s ambassador to Italy and was later appointed as Chief of Protocol during former President Mwai Kibaki’s administration.
In an interview with Chams Media, Madete explained that his venture into the hospitality industry began in 1996 when he established a business initially known as Sosa Country Hotel.
However, the hotel business failed to perform as he had expected.
It was during his diplomatic assignments in Europe that he discovered the glaring market gap that existed in Vihiga with the lack of premium conferencing, recreational, and accommodation facilities.
One day while he was visiting Italy, he came across a tourism model known as agriturismo, which encourages tourists to visit rural areas and experience an ambiance that is different from that of traditional holiday destinations.
According to Madete, some Italian villages had old houses that were abandoned during the Second World War.
These buildings were later renovated and converted into accommodation facilities, a model that has some similarities to the Airbnb business we know of today.
Madete also observed the same tourism model in France, and he began thinking that villages in Kenya could also attract visitors if they were assured of accessing premium accommodation facilities.
He therefore went back to Vihiga and transformed his hotel into a series of cottages, naming them Sosa.
Over the years, business picked up, and Madete expanded the establishment to accommodate different categories of visitors.
During the Chams Media interview, he explained that Sosa Cottages had seven cottages capable of accommodating 16 guests.
The property also featured a storeyed accommodation building containing 12 rooms, while another section comprised 10 villas with space for approximately 20 guests.
Sosa Cottages offers different accommodation arrangements depending on visitors’ requirements, with the business model centered mainly on providing family accommodation.
“If you have a family, if you have children, you come and stay here,” he said.
Aside from accommodation, Madete has also invested in conference facilities so as to attract organisations that want to hold meetings, retreats or team-building activities.
The conference halls can accommodate 60 to 80 people, while two other smaller rooms can hold 30 people each.
Another facility can accommodate approximately 200 participants, while the outdoor grounds offer additional space.
The sprawling property also has space for two helicopters.
According to Madete, Vihiga County needs more accommodation facilities to attract larger groups of tourists and conference delegates.
“We need to encourage people in Vihiga to come up with facilities like this so that we can support each other instead of competing,” he said.
He explained that establishments can split guests in case the accommodation facilities are not enough.
He also encouraged Kenyans living in the diaspora to invest in hospitality establishments in their home counties, as this would help facilitate the county’s development.
“My request to people who are in the diaspora: come back, invest here in the hospitality industry,” he said.