Isinya
- Kitengela Master Plan
By Wilson Korir, Assistant Director, Southern Region
Isinya
and Kitengela are critical dispersal and breeding areas for
wildlife from Nairobi National Park. Unfortunately, these
areas have in recent times experienced intense land fragmentation
and fencing, growth of human settlements, introduction of
crop cultivation and horticultural activities. The viability
of Nairobi National Park will grossly be threatened if no
meaningful interventions are put in place.
A
three days’ workshop attended by officers from KWS,
Physical Planning Department, several other government departments,
non- governmental organizations and community representatives
was held in March 2006 in Kitengela. The workshop produced
a land use zonation map. The Department of Physical Planning
of the Ministry of Land and Settlements asked KWS to present
its wildlife conservation needs and justify its needs for
incorporation into the master plan.
One
of the objectives of KWS in the 2005-2010 Strategic Plan is
to improve management of protected areas, important wildlife
areas and endangered species. This is envisaged in the following
three activities. First, through securing wildlife dispersal
areas and wildlife migratory corridors; second, managing livestock/wildlife
interface, developing community wildlife benefit programmes;
and, thirdly developing conservation education programmes
for communities and collaborative institutions.
It
is against this background that a KWS technical committee
from the Southern Conservation Area has been constituted to
work closely with the communities to identify critical wildlife
and livestock areas. The strategy of bringing the community
on board is aimed at ensuring ownership of the final plan
by the community around Kitengela and Isinya. |
