Lawmakers have launched investigations after revelations that the Maasai Mara Game Reserve risks losing over 47,000 acres of land allegedly taken over by private investors.
The disputed land, located in the Olkiombo area of Narok County within the wider Maasai Mara Conservancy, sits directly along the wildebeest migration corridor, making it critical for both ecological balance and tourism revenue.
On Tuesday, representatives of the Olkiombo-Maasai Mara Conservancy appeared before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Lands to present evidence on the contested parcel.
They were accompanied by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, who backed the petitioners’ claims that the alienation posed a threat to the natural habitat and thousands of livelihoods dependent on the conservancy.
The Committee, chaired by North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko, assured the residents that the matter would be pursued thoroughly, including summoning more witnesses and conducting a physical visit to the contentious land.
“This Committee is fully seized of this matter, and we will be inviting more people to present the necessary evidence so that we can resolve it,” Committee Chair Kuria Nyamoko said.
The petition was filed by Anthony Leseiyo on behalf of local residents, who warned they risk losing their livelihoods due to what they described as an unlawful invasion and takeover of the land.
“This is our only hope because a lot is at stake. There are wild animals there and people’s livelihoods at stake,” Leseiyo told the Committee.
The petitioners further cautioned that the alleged land grabbing not only jeopardised conservation and tourism but also set a dangerous precedent for future attempts to privatise public land.
The Committee said it would summon officials from the Ministry of Lands and other relevant agencies to shed light on the ownership and status of the acreage.
Court Case
Meanwhile, in a related development, the anticipated opening of a new US-owned Safari Lodge in the Maasai Mara has hit a setback after a Kenyan wildlife conservationist moved to court to block it on August 13.
The luxury lodge, which was scheduled to open on Friday, August 15, was halted after Meitamei Olol Dapash, Director of the Institute for Maasai Education, Research and Conservation (MERC), filed a petition claiming it posed a threat to the environment and local wildlife.
According to promotional material, guests at the lodge were expected to pay nightly rates starting at Ksh451,423 ($3,500) per person, with packages including suites featuring private decks overlooking a river used by migrating wildebeest.
