Tanzanian road will kill tourism, Conservation agencies warn

By KIPCHUMBA KEMEI

Five wildlife conservation agencies in Maasai Mara want Tanzania to shelve plans to build a road through Serengeti National Park.

They claim the planned road from Dar-es-Salam to Musoma through the plains would hurt the multi-billion shilling tourism industry.

"We share the same ecosystem and the development bodes ill for tourism and conservation prospects in the larger Mara and Serengeti," said Siana Wildlife Conservation Trust Chairman Sammy Nkoitoi.

The officials from Siana, Koyaki, Lemek, Olkinyei and Majimoto wildlife conservancies spoke during a conservation forum at Sekenani area in the game reserve, on Monday.

Mr Nkoitoi asked the East Africa Community member states to prevail upon Tanzania to stop building the road.

Construction to go on

Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete has insisted the road construction would go on as planned. He says the road will make transportation of goods easy and spur economic activities in the region.

But conservationists argue the highway would affect wild animals’ habitats and fuel poaching.

"Apart from killing the annual migration of wildebeests from the Serengeti plains through the Mara River into Maasai Mara, it would lead to increased poaching," said Nkoitoi.

They said they would send a delegation to Tanzania until high-level talks between the Government and Tanzania take place.

The Mara Triangle Senior Warden Samson Lenjir says the road construction would eventually kill tourism in the larger Serengeti and Mara, affecting thousands of lives of those who depend on the industry.

Meanwhile, lack of budgetary allocation might delay the removal of squatters in Mau Forest and its rehabilitation, an official in the Mau Forest Steering Committee has said.

The official who requested anonymity said Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta failed to allocate money for the exercise.