Government improving working standards for rangers

Narok

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

KNA by John Kaleke

The government has embarked on improving the working conditions for game rangers.

Speaking during celebrations to mark the World Ranger day at Sekenani Gate, Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu said rangers trek for long distances, hence the need for food rations, more motor vehicles for patrols, good housing, clean water and job promotion among others.

Ntutu said the county government had already managed to purchase five motor vehicles, uniforms, built mounted modern housing units and provide piped water across 14 camps within the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Ntutu said the County Government has embarked on improving the working conditions of rangers, noting they will purchase more motor vehicles to ease the patrols within the Parks.

The governor also promised to address the issue of hardship allowance and job promotion as challenges like uniforms, water and housing have now been addressed.

He praised the good work done by the officers in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve saying they contributed a lot in revenue collections, making Narok county the second in revenue collection countrywide.

On his part, Steven Minis, a chief warden at Maasai Mara Game Reserve said the working conditions of rangers have improved immensely, since the current administration came into power.

Minis enumerated the benefits rangers enjoy in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve noting that all of them receive two pairs of uniforms, live in modern housing units installed with solar panels, while renovations were being done for other facilities at the parks.

The chief Warden noted that clean piped water is now accessible within the parks, especially where the rangers reside, adding that a good road network has also been constructed that will ease the operation in the parks.

Minis lauded the new administration for improving transport services within the game park, where both county and National government purchased several motor vehicles for patrols; purchased several brand new land cruisers and repaired 20 more motor vehicles to be used during patrol.

Minis echoed Governor Ntutu’s sentiments and said revenue collection has been streamlined in Maasai Mara and that is why Narok county has been recognized and ranked among the best in collection of revenue country wide this year.

In addition, Ms. Netty Chemotai from the state department of wildlife who works under the project of Combating Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trafficking thanked the Maasai community for taking care of the natural heritage.

Chemotai said the project started back in 2021, and it is working towards the conservation of Tsavo and Maasai Mara Ecosystems.

She added that through the project, they were able to purchase three motor vehicles within Mara, 10 motorbikes, purchased uniforms for rangers and also supported the Maasai Mara management plan which has become currently a legal document.

The County Executive Committee in charge of Trade, Cooperative Development, Tourism and Wildlife in Narok, Mr. Johnson Sipitiek highlighted the roles played by rangers in the parks as important, hence the need for the government to improve their working standards.

Meanwhile, rangers play a critical security role for both wildlife and tourists, they are also scientists by ensuring that the ecology of the parks is preserved; they act as veterinary doctors in the park as they treat animals in the park and they act as public officers as they relate with the communities living around parks.

Courtesy ; K. N. A