The East African (Nairobi)
20 November 2007
A NEW REPORT demonstrates that though communities in Kenya have devoted substantial portions of their own land to the wildlife conservation on which ecotourism businesses are based, they have reaped minimal gain from such ventures. Instead, they have ended up enmeshed in exploitative partnerships with various private investors.
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Mr. Mbaira has written a number of columns before this one suggesting that white wealthy conservationists are perpetually taking advantage of poor displaced Africans. It is a theme that he has struck on where the enemies are always the same and the vicitims are always the same. And yet, If you ask the majority of the members of community ranches if they approve or disapprove of a community effort such as Tasia, the overwhelming response is approval. These community efforts do benefit the communities that they are in bringing in revenue where there would not otherwise be any. Mr. Mbaira suggests that the lands concerned are never valued correctly yet he never suggests what kind of other business could take the place of tourism. If the lands are undervalued why aren't there more buyers and investors flocking to "community development" to make a profit? I think it is sad when people with such a simple agenda are permitted to propogate such garbage when the facts all paint a much more optimistic picture. Sincerely, James Christian Karisia Walking Safaris http://www.karisia.com Laikipia Kenya