The government has clarified its stance on managing Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks, strongly advocating for continued federal administration amid growing petitions concerning land, boundaries, and community entitlements.
Speaking at the Public Petitions Committee held at Parliament Buildings on April 14, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano called on legislators to reject a motion seeking to reclassify both parks.
Committee Vice-chairperson Janet Sitienei (Turbo) presided over the session where it was revealed that the petition questions the existing legal and administrative framework of the parks, highlighting issues of local access and property rights.
CS Miano asserted that the proposed changes violate the Fourth Schedule of the Kenyan Constitution of 2010, which designates the National Government with the duty of safeguarding wildlife and natural resources.
She emphasized that the Tsavo ecosystem spans four counties – Taita Taveta, Makueni, Kitui, and Tana River – establishing it as a shared national resource that
“Reclassifying Tsavo would disrupt a vital ecosystem and establish conflicting management structures that could lead to ecological imbalance and inter-county conflicts,” Miano explained.
She additionally defended the Kenya Wildlife Service’s (KWS) role, pointing out that national management guarantees impartiality in managing shared resources and averts disputes over boundaries and tourism income.
“Maintaining park management under KWS enables the State to function as an unbiased mediator, prioritizing conservation for the national benefit over local interests,” she added.
The Committee also reviewed a distinct petition submitted by Taveta MP John Bwire representing the Nyario ya Kididi cha Bhatubheta Cultural Community, which expressed concerns regarding the historical acquisition of Trust Land in Taita Taveta.
Miano clarified that the disputed territory was formally integrated into Tsavo West National Park in 1970, classifying it as a protected conservation area under Kenyan legislation.
“The land incorporated into Tsavo West National Park in 1970 remains a protected zone, and any unauthorized human presence constitutes trespass according to the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act,” she stated.
Intense efforts to transfer Tsavo parks’ management have been underway since the initial government decision to hand them over after 52 years of federal stewardship.