Business Daily (Nairobi)
Wangui Maina
27 March 2008
Nairobi — The Kenya Wildlife Service is planning to open new tourism circuits within the Tsavo National Park to generate income.
The park - the biggest in the country - covers over 21,000 kilometres, a third of which is used for tourism.
KWS wants to open up the vast wilderness of the park by developing new roads, drainage systems and bridges . Mr Andrew Toboso, the head of marketing and business development, told Business Daily that no new roads or circuits had been created in the park since its inception yet the ecosystems had changed and wildlife had moved from the traditional routes.
"The park holds more potential than what is currently being utilised," he added. The move has been hailed by the sector, which sees it as a major boost to tourism products in the largest national park in the country.
"Tsavo has the capacity for more developments and a move to open it up further would be very beneficial to the sector, the Chairman of the Kenya Association of Tour Operators, Mr Duncan Muriuki, said.
On the infrastructural side, the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) Report, which is a budgetary proposal for the coming 2008/09 financial year, KWS is looking for Sh600 million to construct three main bridges out of the seven, required in Tsavo.
The seven bridges will cross over rivers, Galana, Voi and Kitane to connect the expected new road work in the park. Other than facilitating easy access to the parks, the lack of bridges poses the danger of increased hunting in the parks as poachers take advantage of the wet season because most large river crossings are flooded.
Tsavo National Park was established in April 1948 and is divided into two-, Tsavo East and West, by the Mombasa Nairobi Railway and Road.
Both parks receive many visitors especially Tsavo East which is known for its large herds of elephants and the legend of "The Man Eaters of Tsavo." In addition to the bridges, treasury will also be asking for Sh900 million for the rehabilitation of 600 kilometres of unclassified road network with over 3000 kilometres to be rehabilitated over a span of five years.
Another Sh1.89 billion is needed to upgrade over 100 kilometre access and arterial roads to bitumen and tarmac standards in 10 key parks as part of KWS's five- year programme to upgrade a total of 500 kilometres of road.
Infrastructure firms the backbone of the tourism sector and the rehabilitation and upgrade of roads is crucial for the sector. Players in the sector have been complaining about the poor status of the roads to some of the parks.
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