A Senate watchdog committee has summoned Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano to explain allegations that the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has not handed over the management of Amboseli National Park to Kajiado County.
The committee issued the summons after Governor Joseph ole Lenku told the Senate Public Accounts Committee that KWS had not implemented a presidential proclamation transferring management of the park.
According to Lenku, the transition was expected to take effect on July 1.
The governor told the committee that Kajiado County was losing about Sh3 billion annually in potential revenue from the park, which he said would significantly improve service delivery.
"We are left wondering what instruments the President handed over to Kajiado county if KWS can simply ignore a presidential directive," he told the committee.
Committee chairperson Moses Kajwang' questioned why the transfer had not been implemented months after President William Ruto publicly announced the handover.
"We will summon the Tourism Cabinet Secretary, the KWS director general (Erustus Kanga) and Kajiado county to explain to the country why a Presidential proclamation has not been implemented," Kajwang' said.
The issue arose as Lenku appeared before the committee to respond to audit queries on the county's financial statements, including Sh4 billion in pending bills, some dating back to 2018.
Senators questioned how the county planned to settle the debts amid declining own-source revenue.
Lenku attributed the pending bills to the county's inability to meet its revenue targets, saying taking over Amboseli would significantly improve its financial position.
He said the park, which covers about 33,000 hectares, has the potential to generate nearly Sh3 billion annually.
The governor also said the Maasai community had donated an additional one million acres for wildlife conservation but was yet to realise the expected economic benefits.
"The local community bears the burden of conserving wildlife, yet they are not benefiting as expected. They are beginning to question why they donated their land," Lenku said.
He compared Amboseli to the Masai Mara National Reserve, saying the revenue generated there had transformed Narok County's finances.
"If Narok is earning about Sh4 billion annually from Masai Mara, then Amboseli can equally generate substantial revenue for Kajiado and help us meet our financial obligations," he said.
Kajwang' said the park could become a major source of revenue for the county.
"If the park was handed over as directed, the county would have a reliable source of income that could go a long way in clearing pending bills," he said.
President Ruto on November 8 last year announced a three-year transition of Amboseli's management from KWS to Kajiado County.
Under the arrangement, the county government said it was to receive 50 per cent of the park's revenue during the first year ending June 30, 2026, amounting to about Sh1.5 billion.
The share was to increase to 80 per cent in the second year and to 100 per cent by June 30, 2028, marking the full transfer of management.
However, Lenku told senators that KWS had not remitted "even a coin" since the proclamation was issued.
The governor also accused Magadi Soda Company of failing to pay the county Sh580 million in annual land rates despite occupying more than 80,900 hectares.
According to the county government, it has filed a case at the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the company in a dispute over the county's demand for land rates.
Beyond the Amboseli and Magadi Soda Company matters, senators raised concerns over Kajiado County's financial management.
The committee questioned why the county still had Sh812 million in verified pending bills and about Sh1.5 billion recorded as other payables in the 2024-25 financial year.
Lenku said part of the Sh1.5 billion comprised pension obligations owed to retired employees, adding that the county had established a pending bills committee to verify claims before payment.
Kajwang', however, warned that leaving liabilities unresolved would burden the next administration.
"You are serving your final term. How will your successor know exactly what the county owes if these obligations remain unresolved?" he asked.
He also questioned why suppliers had waited years for payment.
"Why should businesses that offered services to the county wait from 2018 to be paid? That is unfair," Kajwang' said.
The governor said counties continued to receive additional functions without corresponding funding from the national government, making it difficult to meet their financial obligations.
Kajwang' urged counties to improve local revenue collection instead of relying almost entirely on allocations from the National Treasury.
"Many counties know Parliament will allocate them money every year, so they have little incentive to maximise their own-source revenue," he said.
