The long-anticipated transfer of Amboseli National Park to Kajiado County has been finalized after a year of deliberations involving key stakeholders and state agencies.
The decision was approved during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday at State House, chaired by President William Ruto.
This development grants the Kajiado County government the responsibility of managing the park, which was previously overseen by the Kenya Wildlife Service on behalf of the national government.
President Ruto initiated the transfer in August last year, instructing then-Tourism Cabinet Secretary Penina Malonza to expedite the process.
President Ruto noted that UNESCO recognized the Maa community’s culture of promoting human-wildlife coexistence, making them ideal conservationists.
“While President Mwai Kibaki, by executive order, previously stated that this should be managed by the County Government of Kajiado, I confirm that this will now be the case. The process will be coordinated between the Tourism Ministry and Kajiado County,” he announced.
The process formally began in November 2023 when the Ministry of Tourism launched a technical team to lead the transition.
This team was tasked with establishing a legal framework for the park’s handover from national to county management. In April 2024, the Ministry of Tourism sought public input on the transfer, with Kenyans invited to share their views by April 29.
The park generates an estimated Ksh1.8 billion in annual revenue. While some Kenyans opposed the transfer, arguing it would benefit only the Maa community, others expressed support. Of the revenue generated, Ksh20 million is allocated yearly to community support initiatives in Kajiado through CSR projects.
The transfer will involve converting the land from public land held by the national government to community land under Kajiado County, managed in trust for the local community.
Amboseli Park spans 392 square kilometers at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kajiado.
Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku expressed his gratitude to President Ruto for honoring the commitment.
“Thank you, President William Samoei Ruto, for Amboseli,” he wrote, emphasizing the transfer as a realization of the pledge to return Amboseli to its “rightful owners”—the Maa people.
“It has been a long journey, marked by legal challenges but backed by strong support from the Maa Nation and Kenyans alike, as demonstrated in the public participation forums held nationwide,” Lenku added.
