Wildlife Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya has asserted that the government cannot allow Narok East residents to pass through Hells Gate National Park to access some areas of Naivasha.
Appearing before National Assembly’s Public Petition Committee, Museiya told the committee Hells Gate National Park is a protected area which government is committed to protecting and conserving.
“If we allow passage through protected areas and parks, we will be obliterating our conservation. We need to protect our country’s bio-diversity,” Museiya said.
The committee has been conducting an inquiry into claims by residents of Narok East constituency that they are “landlocked.”
The residents have petitioned the House to intervene saying they don’t have direct access roads to Naivasha being surrounded by Hell’s Gate National Park, Gorge Park, and Oserian flower farm.
Narok East MP Aramat Lemanken presented the petition to the House on behalf of the residents of Inkoirienito, Olmara, Narasha, Oltepesi and Suswa.
The residents claim they are only allowed to pass through Hell’ Gate-owned by Kenya Wildlife Service on Monday and Thursday, which hinders their access to health facilities and government services.
The PS nonetheless assured the committee that the State Department is prepared to cede land, to enable the Ministry of Transport to build a public road to benefit the residents.
The committee raised queries about the reasoning behind allowing roads like Mombasa Road to pass through Tsavo National Park without constraint, despite the imperative of conserving the area.
Members further highlighted that if passage is already permitted twice a week, there seems to be no inherent reason to withhold access on the remaining days.
“We won't stop until the people of Narasha have a road. We can’t have residents moving 150 kilometres to get basic health facilities and markets to help sustain their livelihood,” committee chairman Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East) said.
The residents want the House to intervene and facilitate having an access road to directly link affected areas.
