Kenyans Welcome Move to Transfer Amboseli National Park to the County Government of Kajiado

Jul 11, 2024 - 12:08

Eng. Francis Matili, chair of the Advisory Committee moderating the public participation exercise concerning the transfer of the Amboseli National Park from the National Government to the County Government of Kajiado at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

Nairobi

Thursday, July 11, 2024

KNA by Cecil Oduor/Blessing Mutheu

The Advisory Committee on the transfer of Amboseli National Park has held a public participation forum in Nairobi, where the public had the opportunity to submit their views concerning the transfer of the Amboseli National Park to the County Government of Kajiado.

Residents of the Amboseli locality and Kenya at large showed up and raised their concerns. Many were seeking to see what the residents are set to gain if the move were to happen as they have incurred a lot of losses in terms of lives and destruction of property as a result of human-wildlife conflict in addition to their local infrastructure stagnating for years.

Members of the Maa community supported the proposal as they have sentiments that Amboseli is ancestral Maasai land and it is only rightful that they should retain what is theirs. They also advocated for equitable and fair resource allocation as they are directly affected by the National Park.

Following the Presidential Directive made in August 2023, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Dr. Alfred Mutua appointed and gazetted an advisory committee to advise on the framework for the transfer of functions of the Amboseli National Park to the County Government of Kajiado from the National Government.

The 28-member committee headed by Eng. Francis W. Maliti, sought to discharge its mandate and guided by Article 10 of The Constitution of Kenya, applicable and legal policy principles on public participation, engaged the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, the County Government of Kajiado and Kenya Wildlife Service to understand the directive and impact of the transfer of Amboseli National Park.

Members of the committee conducted a reconnaissance at Amboseli and Mwea National Parks to see the infrastructure, operational mechanisms and met up with conservancies of the people ranching around the Amboseli area in matters regarding livestock safety.

If the move was to mature, the County Government of Kajiado is set to receive a large injection of approximately Sh1.4 billion annually into their county economy hence more revenue, spelling good news for the county and its residents.

Courtesy; KNA