President William Ruto has directed the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to allocate 40 per cent of opportunities during the recruitment of rangers to communities hosting national parks in his new affirmative action plan.
Attending a church service at Mwatunge Ground in Taita Taveta on Sunday, July 23, Ruto directed 600 residents from the county to be prioritised during the hiring process to fill the 1,500 vacant slots.
He noted that the same process will be applied in other counties that host National Parks.
Further, the Head of State directed KWS to develop a strategy that would see Taita Taveta retain half of the revenue generated from the national parks.
"At the moment, I agree with your leaders that Taita Taveta is not benefitting from National Parks. As of this year, all the funds realised from national parks will be split into half meaning that half will go back to the county while the other half will go to the national government," he stated.
The President was responding to a plea from Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime who lamented about the unfair system in revenue allocation to the county.
During his speech, Ruto also gave a contractor attached to the Mzima Springs project in Taita Taveta a two-week ultimatum to reduce the quotation of the project or risk being fired.
The Mzima Springs project, once completed, is expected to supply fresh water to over 5 million people living on Kenya's coastline.
The president declared that he will not allow an exorbitant amount to go towards the project. He added that the project ought to be complete by December 2023 in time for the anticipated launch.
Ruto further reiterated that he will not condone violent protests in the country. He instructed the police service to protect lives and public property.
Affirmative action is a plan that favours residents in a particular county during the deployment of certain resources.
Lang'ata MP Phelix Odiwuor recently came under fire when he demanded that half of the workforce involved at events in the constituency should be accorded to the Lang'ata youth.
He claimed that the move would empower the youth in the constituency and provide them with opportunities for growth. The remarks were, however, not taken kindly with critics arguing that Jalang'o was overstepping his mandate.
