The Kajiado County Government has accused the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) of refusing to honour the transfer of Amboseli National Park, setting the stage for a fresh confrontation over the park's management and revenue despite an earlier directive by President William Ruto handing it over to the county.
Governor Joseph Lenku claimed KWS had continued to interfere with the transition process even after all the agreed transfer procedures were completed in November 2025.
"We wish to ask KWS to keep off our Amboseli. While all transfer functions were completed in November 2025, the revenue-sharing arrangement was to take effect on July 1," he said.
Lenku said the county had been unable to roll out the agreed revenue-sharing arrangement because KWS had allegedly blocked county officers from accessing the park's entry points.
"We will collect our revenue and do not radicalise a peaceful community."
The governor warned that the county government would not allow the implementation of the President's directive to be frustrated, saying KWS had one week to stop interfering with county officials.
"We are telling KWS you cannot make the President's pronouncement be in vain."
He spoke while accompanied by group ranch officials, saying the local community had exercised patience for months but was now becoming increasingly frustrated.
Lenku said residents wanted the transition completed without further delays and insisted the community would reclaim the park peacefully if the process continued to stall.
Responding to the claims, KWS, through its communications officer, called on the county government to allow an ongoing court case over the matter to run its course.
The governor also accused KWS of neglecting key infrastructure inside the park, saying several roads used by tourists had been left in poor condition.
He pointed to the road linking the airstrip to the lodges, saying it had deteriorated alongside other routes within the park.
"The watercourse that connected the airstrip to Ol Tukai, which is the main artery in the park, is completely gone. In fact, we fear its total collapse in the next few weeks. All other tourist roads have been allowed to deteriorate."
Lenku claimed the state of the infrastructure could be a deliberate attempt to create the impression that the county government would struggle to run the park after assuming control.
He also alleged that 12 elephants had died in the Amboseli ecosystem under circumstances he described as questionable.
The governor maintained that there were no remaining legal obstacles preventing the transfer from taking full effect.
"We will continue, as the Maa nation, to be peaceful people, but we will protect our rights. We want to ask the government to know KWS is sabotaging this process."
According to Lenku, the transition report provides that 40 per cent of the park's revenue will go to the county government, another 40 per cent to local communities and the remaining 20 per cent to the conservation area authority.
He said Kajiado expects the park to generate about Sh700 million annually once the county takes over its management.
The national government officially transferred the management of Amboseli National Park to the Kajiado County Government on November 8, 2025.
While presiding over the handover, President William Ruto described the move as a major milestone in resolving the long-running dispute over the ownership and management of the park.
He said placing the park under county management would strengthen conservation by giving the surrounding community a greater role in protecting wildlife.
"This is not a weakening of conservation; it is a renewal because conservation led by the people lasts longer, works better and heals deeper," the head of state said.
Ruto noted that the disagreement over Amboseli had lasted for 51 years and had left local communities excluded from conservation efforts and the benefits generated by the park.
"I am proud of this moment because I am sure the Maa community are the greatest conservationists. I have no doubt in my mind that Amboseli will be better than what it used to be," he said.
The handover took place during the 3rd Maa Cultural and Tourism Festival held at Amboseli National Park, where the President was installed as a Maa elder.
He also signed the Deed of Transfer that formally handed the management of the park from KWS to the Kajiado County Government.
Even after the transfer, Ruto directed KWS and the Wildlife Research and Training Institute to continue providing security, ecological monitoring and technical support at the park, while the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife was tasked with offering policy guidance to the county government.
The transfer of Amboseli National Park has continued to attract mixed reactions from conservation groups, highlighting differing views on the future management of protected wildlife areas.