Business Daily (Nairobi)
Wangui Maina
26 June 2009
Kenyans will know in two months the possible resolution of a dispute between the Mara Conservancy and the Transmara County Council.
House Speaker Kenneth Marende directed Local Government minister Musalia Mudavadi to table before the House a report on how the ministry planned to deal with the problem.
Kilgoris MP Gideon Konchella on Thursday accused the conservancy and the directors of Oloolo Game Ranch of defrauding the council
Mr Konchella asked the government to invite the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) to investigate alleged fraud by the conservancy and the game ranch, which, he said, had prevented the local council from conducting business.
The MP had asked the minister to carry out an independent audit of the books of accounts of the Mara Conservancy as well as prosecute persons who have defrauded the council and recover all monies due to it.
However, Mr Mudavadi said he could not interfere in a private contract signed between the council and the other party as well as move to audit their books.
"Mara Conservancy is a private entity," he said.
He added that he had advised the council through the Town Clerk to address the issues.
The Mara Conservancy began operations in June 2001 where it runs and collects revenues in the Mara Triangle, a part of the popular tourist destination Masai Mara, on behalf of the council.
This public-private partnership has led to views that the Transmara side of the game reserve was better managed compared to the Narok side.
Mara Triangle covers about 520 square kilometres, accounting for about a third of the area.
However, issues about siphoning of money by the conservancy were raised in Parliament as MPs said it takes 54 per cent of the money collected.
The high salary awarded to the conservancy's chief executive -- Sh1 million according to Garsen MP Danson Mungatana -- has also raised concern.
According to the conservancy's structure, the board members are expected to have a direct interest in the conservation of the reserve.
Slump in sectorMasai Mara is one of the leading game reserves in the country, attracting thousands of tourists annually. However, due to the ongoing slump in the sector, the visitors to the reserve dropped by 80 per cent to 59,600 last year compared to the previous year according to the Economic Survey 2009.
Early this year, the Kenya Tourism Federation said new lodges had been approved for development by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
The authority issued three new licences last year for new lodges and camps, a move that has been termed illegal by tourism sector players following a moratorium that was put in place in 2005.
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