The People's Park

Heralded as a flagship for the involvement of local communities in their own tourism enterprises, the Kimana Community Wildlife Sanctuary set a precedent in Kenya for being the first community owned and managed wildlife sanctuary. It started in 1994 and was officially opened to visitors in 1996.

The Sanctuary lies in the game migration corridor linking the Amboseli and Tsavo ecosystems. Located on communal land belonging to the Kimana Maasai, 65% of the total ranch area has been set aside for the sanctuary, covering 40km2.

The park contains a range of habitats - swamp, savannah plains and Acacia tortilis woodland. Consequently it supports a diversity of wildlife. Lions, leopards, gazelles and giraffe, herds of elephant and buffalo and pods of hippo can all be seen.

During the 1980's and early 1990's, the Maasai were excluded from tourism and wildlife affairs at Amboseli National Park, creating bitter resentment. As a possible consequence, 95% of Amboseli's rhinos were poached. Dr David Western, Director of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), said: "They were destroying a very large number of animals in Amboseli to show that the government might be able to take the land but that the fate of wildlife was really in their hands."

Fortuitously there was a remarkable turnaround. The Maasai did not like killing wildlife and began to look for an alternative solution. Paul ole Nangoro, a senior elder of the Kimana/Tikondo group ranches believed Maasai involvement in tourism was the answer.

After two years of discussion with the 843 members of the group ranch, he persuaded them to form a game sanctuary. The Kimana group ranch approached the Kenya Wildlife Service for assistance.

Significantly, the Maasai were autonomous in making their decisions while KWS acted in a consultancy capacity. KWS provided a road network around the Sanctuary and trained 16 Maasai Game Scouts. Kuoni UK donated funds for an entrance gate.

The Sanctuary charges US$10, considerably less than the US$27 entrance fee for Amboseli National Park. Each group ranch member receives an annual dividend, while some money is retained for joint community development projects.

It is hoped that the lower fees will entice visitors from Amboseli National Park, 15 miles away. This will take pressure off Amboseli which during the high season gets overcrowded. The financial benefits which the Maasai receive from the sanctuary will in turn make them more receptive to having wildlife on their land.

As Amboseli National Park only accounts for about 10% of the entire ecosystem, and cannot sustain large quantities of wildlife on a permanent basis, it is vital that the migration corridors through Maasai lands remain open to maintain the entire ecosystem.

Published in Travel Africa Edition Four: Summer 1998. Text is subject to Worldwide Copyright (c)