The state in collaboration with Homa Bay government has allowed sports tourism at Ruma National Park to conserve and promote the roan antelope.
The antelope species has been facing extinction due to external threats. In Kenya, the rare roan antelope is found only in Ruma National Park as there are only 25 such animals.
Both the national and the county governments have agreed to organise a half marathon that will take place on May 5 and 6 to promote tourism activities that have been dormant at the park. The decision of conducting the event at the park is significant because the government will be able collect revenue and at the same time promote the park for tourism.
Ruma National Park assistant director David Oyugi and Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga said the introduction of sporting event will help in marketing the park and improve revenue collection by Kenya government through the Kenya Wildlife Service.
The park recorded the highest annual visit in 2019 when 5,333 tourists toured the game park.
“A total of 4,872 people visited the park in 2022 which was below what other parks in the country are recording,” Oyugi said.
Low number of visitors is directly proportional to earnings that the park gets.
Apart from the rare roan antelope, the park hosts black and white rhinos, nubian giraffe, reptiles, buffalos, oribi among others.
Visiting the park will enable the government to get more funds to undertake promotional activities and improve infrastructure for protecting the animals.
“Introducing the race here is part of the efforts to protect the rare roan antelope and other animals for tourist attractions. We expect to set up more infrastructures for monitoring the animals,” Oyugi said.
About 33 Nubian giraffes were introduced in the park in 1983 and the number has multiplied to 550 today.
The park also has 400 species of birds making it one of the bird watching sites in the country.
Speaking during a test run at the park on Saturday, the KWS officer said all the animals at the park face threats from prolonged drought and human wildlife conflict.
There are also wildfires, hunting of bush meat and fence vandalism.
Wanga expressed optimism that the race will scale up conservation efforts of roan antelope at the park.
“People are continually registering to participate in the half marathon. As conservation and protection of roan antelope remains the agenda, the marathon will also enable us to showcase some of the hidden beauties of our county,” Wanga said.
Other participants in the event will be renowned athletes as the county has partnered with Athletics Kenya in organising the event dubbed ‘run with the roans’.
She asked travel agents to take advantage of the opportunity to earn from the park as organisers plan to hold the marathon annually.
“Athletics Kenya will give awards to winners. Let’s come and enjoy the beauties of our country,” she said.
Homa Bay assembly speaker Julius Gaya and Tourism executive Polycarp Okombo asked residents to visit the park to learn more about the animals and engage in their conservation efforts.
Okombo said his department will use the marathon to spur economic growth.
“We should bring traffic to the park to promote local tourism. Local businesses will grow as they get ready market," Okombo said.
