President William Ruto and his Cabinet on Thursday, November 14, 2024, approved the transfer of ownership of Amboseli National Park to the County government of Kajiado.
The approval and the move will help local administration and community reap more from their conservation efforts.
Reacting to the approval by the Cabinet, Governor Joseph Lenku thanked President Ruto, saying: “Since you assumed office, you have been very clear on the correction of historical injustices meted on local communities”.
“Today’s Cabinet approval of the transfer of Amboseli National Park to the County government of Kajiado, is yet another manifestation of your commitment to keep your word that Amboseli must return to its rightful owners – the Maa people,” said Lenku.
The governor said it has been a long journey, replete with legal hurdles but enjoying abundant goodwill not only from the people of the Maa Nation but also from the people of Kenya as witnessed in the overwhelming support during the public participation forums conducted across the country.
In August 2023, Ruto announced plans by the government to remit 50 per cent of the revenue generated from national parks to counties in which the conservancies are situated.
Speaking in Narok County during the Maa Cultural Festival, the Head of State said that the national and devolved governments would share the returns equally since host counties played an integral role in ensuring the success of the conservancies.
“Once we have done that, the county administrations should make good use of this money so that it can uplift the living standards of the people who play a great role in conserving the environment and wildlife,” he said.
Consequently, in November 2024, the Ministry of Tourism launched a technical team of experts to spearhead the transition process of Amboseli National Park.
The team was tasked with establishing a legal framework to facilitate the transition of the park’s management from the national government to the Kajiado county government.
A public participation exercise over the takeover was conducted between June 24, 2024 and July 10, 2024.
The sessions were conducted at the Maasai Technical Training Institute in Kimana Social Hall in Kajiado, the Regional Commissioner’s Hall in Kisumu (Nyanza region), and the Nyeri Town CDF Hall (Central region).
On June 25, additional sessions were held at the Kisii Social Hall in the Nyanza region and the Meru Social Hall in the Upper Eastern region.
However, conservationists opposed the move saying that it would downgrade the park’s legal status as a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot.
“This action will weaken conservation efforts, set a negative precedent and erode trust with development partners,
“The risk of its loss is excessive. We urge the government to reconsider this decision and prioritise the long-term health of Amboseli and Kenya’s conservation efforts,” said Nature Kenya director Paul Matiku.
