President Ruto assures continued support as Amboseli returns to Maasai custodianship

President William Ruto has assured the Maasai community and all stakeholders that the national government will continue providing firm oversight and support following the historic handover of Amboseli National Park to Kajiado County.

Ruto said the handover was not just administrative but a landmark moment for justice, devolution, and conservation.

“As President, I take personal responsibility to ensure the national government provides oversight and support. Let this mark not only the return of stewardship but also the triumph of justice and the strength of community,” he said.

The announcement came on Friday during the Maa Cultural Festival, a celebration of Maasai culture, heritage, and identity.

Addressing elders, community leaders, and thousands of residents, Ruto also warned leaders from Kajiado County and the Maasai community that the new semi-autonomous agency managing Amboseli must remain professional, transparent, and free from political meddling.

“This agency is not a political tool; it must serve conservation and the community with integrity. Let greed, division, or politics never taint this historic victory,” the President cautioned.

He commended Maasai elders for their strong support for conservation by offering more than one million acres as wildlife corridors and dispersal zones—an act he said reflects partnership, not charity.

“This gesture mirrors centuries of custodianship and shows their readiness to manage Amboseli responsibly,” he said.

Thanks to President Ruto’s decisive leadership, the community will now officially oversee daily management of the park, correcting decades of exclusion since its gazettement in 1974 and UNESCO listing in 1991.

Ruto credited the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the Wildlife Research and Training Institute, and the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife for their continued efforts in securing and monitoring the park.

These institutions, he said, will provide technical expertise, policy direction, and ecological oversight to ensure Amboseli remains a world-class conservation site even under community stewardship.

“This partnership between national oversight and community leadership is a model for Kenya and beyond,” he stated.

The President also honoured the late Maasai leaders Francis ole Legis, Lenku ole Mpaa, and Lesinko ole Nkaitole, whose decades-long struggle for Amboseli’s return paved the way for the achievement.

“Though they are gone, their courage, conviction, and devotion to justice will forever be remembered,” he said.

Ruto said the handover represents a model for shared prosperity, where the Maasai community will directly benefit from tourism revenue, jobs, and cultural programmes linked to Amboseli, showing that conservation and development can advance together.

“This is not a weakening of conservation; it is a renewal,” he declared. “Conservation led by the people lasts longer, works better, and heals deeper.”

He urged the Maasai to continue protecting Amboseli with the same devotion and care that have defined their heritage for generations.