After the 1997 elections, Kosgey was appointed Minister for Tourism. At the time Kenya's Tourism sector was going through a very difficult period due to bad publicity in the international media following the 1997 elections. Matters worsened in 1998 when Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaeda terrorist group bombed the American Embassy in Nairobi. Kosgey therefore had the difficult task of restoring confidence in the tourism industry while managing and improving Kenya's image abroad.