Governor Susan Kihika has expressed serious concerns regarding the substantial payments owed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to the County Government of Nakuru in lieu of rates, a substitute for property taxes.
According to official records, Lake Nakuru National Park has an outstanding debt of KShs3,761,454,708, the accumulated annual payments that the KWS is obligated to make instead of traditional property rates.
Governor Kihika raised this issue yesterday during a session with the Senate Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Senator Moses Kajwang of Homa Bay, where she addressed various audit queries.
“My administration has made continuous efforts to secure payment, but the matter remains unresolved. We got no response from the KWS,” stated a frustrated Governor Kihika.
However, Governor Kihika remains hopeful following President William Ruto’s directive a year ago that national parks and conservancies should remit 50 percent of their revenue to host counties for development, environmental, and conservation programs.
The Governor noted that the matter came up during the 23rd ordinary session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC), but the Ministry of Water, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management was not available to address the issue.
Nakuru residents and wildlife enthusiasts have echoed the Governor’s call, stating that the national government, through the KWS, should remit part of its revenue to the county to bolster local resources.
“The financial implications are significant, and resolving this matter remains a priority for my administration,” the Governor stated.
A 2021 report by the Commission on Revenue Allocation identified that counties hosting parks, reserves, and conservancies experienced improved revenue performance, significantly boosting their income and development.
In 2019, KWS unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reversing the dwindling fortunes of Lake Nakuru National Park. The strategy aimed to increase the park’s annual revenue collection from Shs480 million to Shs1 billion by next year, 2020.
The increasing water levels of Lake Nakuru have had a significant impact on the nearby communities, particularly in Mwariki and Barut, affecting 677 families. Approximately 26.6 square kilometers of Lake Nakuru National Park have been submerged.
The affected households are in urgent need of compensation and relocation to safer areas, as the flooding is worsened by the effects of climate change and other factors. Experts caution that if this trend continues, Lake Nakuru’s water level could double by 2030, covering an area of over 82 square kilometers.
“Addressing this crisis requires immediate attention and coordinated action to mitigate further displacement and damage,” said Jackson Raini, an expert in environmental planning, management, and governance in an earlier interview.
