Kenya launches ten-year strategy to boost conservation of Mara wildlife sanctuary

Kenya has launched a ten-year strategy to strengthen the conservation of the well-known Maasai Mara wildlife sanctuary and transform the livelihoods of neighboring communities.

Peninah Malonza, the cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Heritage, on Thursday presided over the launch of Maasai Mara’s new conservation strategy that coincided with the wildlife sanctuary’s 75th anniversary.

Among key pillars of the new conservation strategy for the Mara are the physical and land use plan 2023-2032, the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem Management Plan 2023-2032, and the Maasai Mara National Reserve Management plan 2023-2032.

“The launch of the three gazetted plans is expected to improve conservation and physical development in the region as we face the twin challenges of climate change and the rapid decline of wildlife populations,” Malonza said. “The three plans will help the Mara region and Kenya to achieve the broader national environmental agenda and meet her international obligations, while simultaneously achieving her objective of improving community livelihoods, especially those dependent on natural resources or the environment in general.”

Domiciled with the new conservation strategy for the Mara are plans that will guide activities related to the development and implementation of community-based natural resource management, waste management, climate change mitigation and adaptation, eco-tourism, and cultural tourism.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve, located in the southwestern Kenyan county of Narok and bordering Tanzania, is home to iconic wildlife species including giant land mammals, cats, and migratory birds. Enditem