Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has renewed his fight to have the Nairobi National Park placed under the management of the county government, accusing the national government of withholding revenue that should benefit city residents.
Speaking before the Senate Devolution Committee on Monday, November 24, Sakaja said the county has formally written to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano at least twice requesting the transfer of the park’s management, but the efforts have stalled. The park generated Ksh1.2 billion last year.
The governor argued that other counties hosting key national parks such as Narok with the Maasai Mara and Kajiado with Amboseli already benefit directly from park revenues, and Nairobi deserves the same treatment.
“It is not fair that this is being applied selectively,” Sakaja said, referencing the recent handover of Amboseli to Kajiado County in a phased arrangement that will eventually grant the county full control and 100 percent of revenue collected.
He noted that nearly an eighth of Nairobi’s land is occupied by the national park, limiting development options that could otherwise boost the county’s income. Sakaja maintained that Nairobi should either receive full control or be granted a fair share of the earnings.
The governor said he will continue pressing the matter, insisting that residents of the capital must benefit from hosting the world’s only national park within a major city.
