Senate summons Miano, KWS boss as Amboseli handover row escalates

The Senate has summoned Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director General Prof. Erastus Kanga to explain the delayed implementation of a Presidential Proclamation transferring aspects of the management of Amboseli National Park to the Kajiado County Government, as a standoff between the two sides deepens.

The summons comes amid mounting pressure from Kajiado leaders, led by Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, who has issued KWS with a seven-day ultimatum to allow county officials access to Amboseli National Park gates to begin collecting revenue in line with the transition framework.

Speaking in Kajiado on Wednesday, Lenku accused KWS of deliberately frustrating the implementation of President William Ruto’s directive, which he said formally handed over the management and revenue-sharing functions of the park to the county government.

According to the governor, President Ruto signed the proclamation on November 8, 2025, after confirming that all legal requirements had been met and that Kajiado County had demonstrated sufficient capacity to manage the park.

“On November 8, 2025, the President signed and decreed that all legal hurdles were completed. The capacity of the county government to manage the park was assessed and found satisfactory, and Amboseli was handed over to us,” Lenku said.

He added that a comprehensive revenue-sharing framework was subsequently developed and came into effect on July 1, 2026. However, he alleged that KWS has refused to implement the agreement by denying county revenue officers access to the park’s entry gates, where revenue is collected.

“We have given KWS seven days to do what they need to do as per the Transition Implementation Report. They cannot demean and frustrate the President’s commitment to the Maa community,” the governor said.

Lenku maintained that the county government was not seeking concessions from KWS but was demanding the implementation of what he described as a legally concluded transition process.

“KWS is outrightly sabotaging President William Ruto’s decree on our takeover of Amboseli National Park. They are not doing us a favour. Amboseli is ours by right,” he said.

He noted that the President announced the handover publicly before thousands of members of the Maa community and warned that attempts to reverse or delay the process risked heightening tensions among local residents.

The dispute has now attracted the attention of the Senate, with lawmakers seeking answers over why the Presidential Proclamation has not been fully implemented despite the transition framework already taking effect.

The Senate has directed Tourism CS Rebecca Miano and KWS Director General Prof. Erastus Kanga to appear before the House and explain the legal, administrative and operational hurdles delaying the handover.