Hoteliers oppose invasion of Tsavo National Park by herders

By Philip Mwakio

Tourism industry stakeholders are opposed to invasion of the Tsavo National Park by livestock herders.

The Tsavo East Stakeholders Association chairman David Oyugi, said there has been an influx of livestock in the park.

"The livestock are all over and yet the area is overpopulated. There is no more space,’’ he said.

He said Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has been deploying rangers who are aided by helicopters to drive them out. A hotelier, Mr Paul Kurgat, however said more needs to be done to ensure that the conservation areas are not invaded by livestock.

"We get complain that instead of seeing wildlife, they encounter livestock during game drives,’’ Kurgat said.

Oyugi challenged the hoteliers to emulate the gesture by the locals on environment conservation. " We would like to see tree planting replicated around the lodges , hotels and tented camps within the Tsavo to make it greener,’’ Oyugi said.