Tourism CS Najib Balala has given the public more time to raise their concerns over plans to facelift the Nairobi National Park.
Balala in a statement on Tuesday gave the public until the end of June for the submissions.
The deadline for comments and views on the draft plan was Sunday.
“The public participation shall be extended for the public to raise their concerns or support so that analyses and improvement of the plan can be undertaken for the public interest,” Balala said in a statement signed by Ahmed Elmawi, the acting head of communications.
The Kenya Wildlife Service’s Draft Management Plan 2020-2030 has proposed a facelift to the park “to improve its attractiveness”.
Under the plan, a multi-billion ecolodge will also be put up.
The management considered whether to maintain the status quo or improve the habitat through controlled burning, mowing and mineral supplementation.
The third option was to enclose the entire park with a predator-proof fence.
The last option was to improve the park habitat by progressively fencing off willing landowners in the park’s buffer zone.
KWS has identified 12 issues that threaten the park founded in 1946.
They are habitat loss and fragmentation in the dispersal areas, the decline in the wildlife population, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, alien and invasive species, pollution, mining and quarries.
Others are climate change, low park visitation, increased urbanisation, settlement threats on the sheep and goats ranch and infrastructure development.
KWS admits that it may have contributed to the challenges facing the 117-square-kilometre park. by allowing mega projects inside and on the periphery of the park.
These include the Southern Bypass and Internal Container Depot roads.
The Southern Bypass passes through the park, and it has cut off a section of the park that borders Wilson Airport. The impacts of this road include noise and air pollution from traffic plying the road.
There are old and new pipelines passing through the park as well as wayleaves.
Overhead power pylons and underground power cables have also been constructed in the park.
