The impact of recent events on Kenya, one of the most beautiful and attractive countries in Africa
Kenya is one of the most popular destination countries for nature travelers. Reserves where you can see more species of animals (and plants) than any other destination, meetings with special tribal populations and spectacular landscapes, all these make Kenya one of the most beautiful and interesting countries. Until recently, Kenya was a sought-after tourist destination for us as well, and it's a shame because because of a one-time event in Mombasa, which is off the beaten track, the Israeli travelers were frightened to the point of leaving this wonderful country, a fear that has no justification or basis in reality.
Although most of Kenya's income comes from agriculture, tourism has a high added value, so Kenyans do a lot to attract more tourists. Tourism is divided into holiday tourism where the tourists come to the beaches mainly in Mombasa, Malindi, Lomo and basically the entire length of the coast that borders the Indian Ocean. There are beaches in many other destinations, not so nature reserves, so the main part of tourism in Kenya is based on visitors to the reserves.
Kenya is considered one of the leading countries (in Africa and the world) in nature conservation issues and its reserves are considered important, beautiful and leading in their attraction in the entire world. In recent years, in Kenya, as in many other countries, there has been great pressure from the local population on the reserves: the intrusion of herds of cattle and sheep into grazing areas, the invasion of forests by farmers while cutting them down, the unwise use of water and damage to lakes, streams and their flora and fauna. One of the effective ways to preserve nature and prevent damage to the local population is a method that has already been mentioned in my lists - the integration of the population in conservation activities while providing the possibility of subsistence from natural resources: wild animals, plants, and landscapes without harming them. This is by giving the locals the opportunity to set up accommodation facilities and tourist activities, manage and monitor reserves, work on tourism issues.
I also mentioned the developing enterprise in the western Maasai-Mara by local Maasai and their (economic) competition in the existing reserve in northern Kenya in an area mostly inhabited by the Samburu tribe and called Laikipia. Laikipia Wildlife Forum - the "Wildlife Committee" was established by the residents of the area with the assistance of external bodies and the encouragement of the Kenya Nature Conservation Authority (KWS).
Upon its establishment, the committee determined that a large area that belonged to many ranchers would be turned into a nature reserve. A "lodge" was established for hospitality and local residents learned the theory of taking care of the reserve, guiding and transporting tourists, hosting, maintenance, etc. Today, the reserve in an area that was unknown until now is attracting tourists, its advertising is gaining momentum and the residents who see a profit in their labor also see handsome profits, much handsomer than during the period when they grazed their flock in the same area.
As in Laikipia, local committees were established in Nkuru where the problems are severe as the lake is a drainage basin for the effluents of the big city on the one hand and on the other hand, the sources of water that filled it are dwindling due to wasteful use of the streams that flow into the lake. Deforestation in the drainage basin of the streams causes silt that clogs the lake, in short the problems are many and therefore the work of the Committee for Nakuru _Nakuru Wildlife Forum) is great.
Residents in the drainage basin of Lake Naivasha (Lake Naivasha Riparian Association) also face a similar situation. Here the residents face not only nature but also white settlers who arrived at the beginning of the XNUMXth century and took over huge areas from Naivasha to the south where the Maasai live, they were always cattle herders and were considered goats and hostile (foreigners) among the Kenyan tribes.
From their point of view as nomadic shepherds, the entire area belongs to them even if part of it has been declared a reserve, or worse is held by a white farmer. The reserves were declared by the state and they have representatives in the parliament, therefore their attitude towards the reserves is relatively moderate, and when they are given the opportunity to earn their keep from the reserve, (work, services, etc.) their attitude towards the various prohibitions arising from the proximity to the reserve is even more moderate.
The "white" farms are a different story. Most of the areas inhabited by the whites were purchased "legally" by their settlers, but the purchase was made by an agreement with a local leader who received trifles without understanding the consequences of the sale, since in the Maasai tradition, all the pasture lands belong to them and therefore from the point of view of the seller The sale was giving the buyer permission to use the land, certainly not preventing the shepherds from using it when needed.
Since the territory belongs to a farmer, he is allowed to kill (with a license) wild animals to eat them or sell the meat to luxury restaurants, the original inhabitants are prevented from doing so. Indeed, when the population grows, the years of drought multiply and most of the acquired territories are fenced, the friction reaches its peak. Shepherds invade private farms with cattle and their sheep. And the farmers (usually white) stand helpless.
At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, Lord Delamere, who was considered a "black conquest" in his family in England, arrived in Kenya. The Lord purchased an area of about fifteen hundred square kilometers between Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha and after many failures he established a farm for the "glory of the British settlement" There are stories about the honor of the Lord who would come to Nairobi like the cowboys in the movies when he shoots his gun everywhere, gloats and gets drunk and causes damage to everything his surroundings. Later his grandson was a minister in the government of Kenya.
The whole story about the Lord... To get to Nino who today owns the giant farm between Nakuru and Naivasha. Like any white farmer, he also asked for the help of the Kenya Wildlife Service Rangers to help him prevent illegal poachers on his farm. This is where the story gets complicated, following the request of the great-grandson, an inspector in civilian clothes with a weapon entered the farm in order to look for hunters, the great-grandson, who probably did not know about this, met the armed man, shot him and killed him. All of this happened about six months ago. The law enforcement authorities needed five months to arrive at the farm and arrest the shooter, and since he is Delamar's great-grandson, a farm owner, white, he was released after a month due to "lack of evidence" is there anything familiar about the procedure? But the inspector was a Maasai from the residents of the area, the Maasai are all shouting Hamas and threatening to stop the tourist activity if the shooter is not brought to trial and justice is given.
So what does it concern us...? I wrote in the opening how unique, special, beautiful, inviting and attractive Kenya is, it would be a shame that further troubles would cause harm to tourism to it, since tourism is the first and most important factor that pushes for the preservation of the special flora and fauna in the Kenyan reserves.
