Tourism CS Najib Balala appointed new members of the Board of Tourism Regulatory Authority on Friday, August 7, 2020.
One of the new appointees was one Pauline Njoroge who is a digital strategist and a vocal political commentator.
Her appointment caused a stir online due to her past sentiments about Nairobi National Park which advocated for it to be developed.
“How much revenue does Nairobi National Park bring to this country? Isn't there much much more that can be done with it that will add more value?” her past Facebook post read.
Many conservationists have raised alarm that she was given the role to regulate the tourism industry while she held such views about Nairobi National Park.
The park, which is favoured as the only national park in the world that is within a capital city, has been under threat for many years and some Kenyans have seen her appointment as a step back.
“The way appointments are done in this country is just interesting! After what Pauline Njoroge had earlier posted about Nairobi National Park, does she deserve to be in that Tourism Board really?” pose politician Alinur Mohamed.
Hours after her appointment, Nairobi National Park, was trending on Twitter with over 100,000 impressions.
The park is home to more than 550 species of birds and attracts approximately 150,000 visitors a year.
Activists have termed the park as the lungs of the city, bringing in fresh air to an increasingly crowded capital.
However human activity has been attributed to one of the reasons wildlife have often been seen escaping from the park.
Development of national infrastructure like the SGR through the park is not a form of land use espoused in the Act for wildlife protected areas.
