Save Amboseli
EAWLS (East African Wild Life
Society) DEPLORES THE DEGAZZETMENT OF AMBOSELI NATION
According to recent press reports,
the Government has by gazette notice, changed the status of
Amboseli National Park and 'handed over' the Park, hence categorized
as a reserve, to the Kajiado County Council.
The East African Wild Life Society regards the
degazzetment as ILLEGAL and detrimental to Amboseli as well
as prejudicial to conservation policy. The action is illegal
in terms of the Wildlife (Conservation and Management) Act
Chapter 376 Section 7. (1) and (2).
The Act stipulates that:
7. (1) Subject to subsection
(2), the Minister, after consultation with the competent authority,
may by order declare that any National Park, National Reserve,
local sanctuary or a specified part thereof, shall cease to
be a National Park, National Reserve, or local sanctuary.
(2) No order shall be made
under subsection (1) unless-
(a) a notice of the intention
to make the order, with details thereof, and inviting objections
thereto within a period of not more than 60 days, has been
published in the Gazette and in at least one newspaper circulating
throughout Kenya; and
(b) not earlier than sixty
days after the last date of such publication a draft of the
order has been laid before the National Assembly and the National
Assembly has by resolution approved the order.
The Government has BROKEN the law. It is therefore
not surprising that the action was taken without any consultation
of the many organizations that have been involved in the history
of Amboseli National Park - one of the best known game parks
of the world.
Indeed, the Government did not even consult
the relevant organization, which, according to the law is
responsible for the management and conservation of wildlife
in Kenya.
The East African Wild Life Society is convinced
that if the correct legal procedures are followed, there will
be overwhelming rejection and opposition to this action, which
constitutes a real threat to the survival of this world famous
conservation area.
Amboseli has been the responsibility of Kajiado
County Council before and was made into a national park precisely
because of poor management, encroachment, environmental degradation,
non-compliance with national and international conservation
policies and interminable wrangling.
The East African Wild Life Society champions
the concept that the people living among wildlife should benefit
from that wildlife. The Society would like to see revenue
sharing and has persistently criticized the manner in which
income generated by wildlife utilization is distributed. Consequently,
the Society would applaud the Government if its sudden surge
of generosity towards Kajiado District would have taken the
form of channeling the lion's share of the income of Amboseli
National Park towards the people of Kajiado. 'Handing over'
the park, however dramatic the gesture may be and whatever
political constellation may have motivated it, is reckless,
for the Kajiado County Council has neither the capacity nor
the experience to manage Amboseli.
The East African Wild Life Society furthermore,
is gravely concerned about the 'domino effect' that this hasty,
clandestine, ill conceived and illegal action may trigger.
Dispensing patronage at the expense of the environment
and conservation was one of the characteristics of the previous
regime. The Society had condemned the actions of that Government
again and again. This new chapter of the Amboseli saga is
a relapse into that era and its consequences are incalculable.
The East African Wild Life Society condemns
the action in the strongest possible terms and invites individuals
and organizations to join this protest.
I.J.P. Loefler
Chairman
EAWLS