A petition before the National Assembly Committee on Public Petitions has renewed debate over how revenue from Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks is shared, with Taita Taveta County seeking a system that allows locals to directly benefit from the wildlife resources within their area.
Governor Andrew Mwadime, who appeared before the committee, backed calls to reclassify the Tsavo section in Taita Taveta into a National Reserve, saying the current setup has, for years denied the county any structured earnings from the parks despite hosting a major share of them.
He told the committee that, “That the current categorization of Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Parks whichdenies the people of Taita Taveta benefits accrued from established National Reserves.”
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He further stated, “That Taita Taveta County is keen on tapping on the resources but is willing to leave the exclusive mandate of the Kenya Wildlife Service and attempts to have revenue sharing have not borne any fruits.”
The county told MPs that the matter is not only administrative but legal, raising questions on whether the current classification blocks fair access to revenue generated from public land within its borders.
County Attorney Diana Katema said that while conservation has been achieved, the model does not guarantee fair benefit sharing, raising constitutional concerns on equity.
She said that “fails equitable benefit sharing,” adding that communities are left carrying conservation burdens without financial return.
She further said, “A model that imposes conservation costs without corresponding economic benefit fails this standard.”
The petition also compared Tsavo with other parks such as Maasai Mara, which Governor Mwadime said generates billions annually for Narok County, unlike Tsavo where no structured revenue goes to the host county.
He said Tsavo remains a globally recognised ecosystem but does not translate into local income.
“Taita Taveta hosts a substantial portion of Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks and the County receives no structured share of revenue and all attempts at revenue sharing have failed”
He added, ‘’Comparative data demonstrates that similarly situated ecosystems such as Maasai Mara generate significant own-source revenue which is approximately Sh 5.16 billion annually, contributing up to 91 percent of county revenue, while Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks that is Taita Taveta portion which generate no structured local revenue.’’
He also told MPs that residents around the parks continue to suffer wildlife-related losses without compensation linked to park earnings.
“Communities adjacent to Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks (Taita Taveta portion) continue to bear the direct costs of conservation, including loss of life, livestock, and livelihoods, without corresponding economic benefit.”
To resolve the stalemate, the county proposed a joint revenue account to manage and share income from the parks transparently.
Katema told MPs that such a system would improve accountability and reduce disputes.
“Without a joint framework the county participation remains nominal and the national control remains unchecked as disputes over revenue and audit are inevitable.”He added.
She further stated, “The Joint Revenue Account is therefore the legal mechanism that operationalises revenue sharing.”
Governor Mwadime urged Parliament to amend the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act and introduce a clear revenue-sharing formula, including full disclosure of park earnings.
Wundanyi Mbale Ward MCA Jimmy Mwamidi told MPs that the community has waited decades for a fair share of resources within their locality.
"The Taita Taveta community has suffered for over 60 years not being able to access resources that are within their reach, resources which could transform their lives, resources which could guarantee their children access to education and proper healthcare.'' He added, ''As the budget chairperson in Taita, I am envious of other counties that budget for over Sh 20 billion, while Taita Taveta has never exceeded Sh 7 billion, inclusive of conditional grants. Meanwhile, areas around the Maasai Mara generate billions from a single resource, giving them a significant financial advantage even before equitable share allocations." Mwamidi said.
He concluded that the issue is about fairness in access to public resources rather than conservation itself.
“The issue is not conservation. It is access to revenue derived from public resources held in trust for the people and that community has not merely been sidelined it has been excluded.” Mwadime said.
Committee chairperson Kitayama Marwa said the committee will consider all submissions before preparing its report.
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