By Wilson Korir, Assistant Director, Southern Region: KWS - http://www.kws.org

Isinya - Kitengela Master Plan
Isinya and Kitengela are critical dispersal and breeding areas for wildlife from Nairobi National Park. Unfortunately, these areas have in recent times experienced intense land fragmentation and fencing, growth of human settlements, introduction of crop cultivation and horticultural activities. The viability of Nairobi National Park will grossly be threatened if no meaningful interventions are put in place.

A three days’ workshop attended by officers from KWS, Physical Planning Department, several other government departments, non- governmental organizations and community representatives was held in March 2006 in Kitengela. The workshop produced a land use zonation map. The Department of Physical Planning of the Ministry of Land and Settlements asked KWS to present its wildlife conservation needs and justify its needs for incorporation into the master plan.

One of the objectives of KWS in the 2005-2010 Strategic Plan is to improve management of protected areas, important wildlife areas and endangered species. This is envisaged in the following three activities. First, through securing wildlife dispersal areas and wildlife migratory corridors; second, managing livestock/wildlife interface, developing community wildlife benefit programmes; and, thirdly developing conservation education programmes for communities and collaborative institutions.

It is against this background that a KWS technical committee from the Southern Conservation Area has been constituted to work closely with the communities to identify critical wildlife and livestock areas. The strategy of bringing the community on board is aimed at ensuring ownership of the final plan by the community around Kitengela and Isinya.