By Reprter
Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has called on the national government to return all the national reserves and tourism attraction sites to the management of the county governments.
According to Achani, Kwale County has several natural and heritage resources that do not benefit the locals.
“We have so many resources but the profits don’t reach us. The shares are equally distributed to other Kenyans,” he said.
The governor said she wants her administration to be allowed to collect revenue at the Shimba Hills National Reserve and Kisite Mpunguti Marine National Reserve.
She said the county has great potential to grow if only allowed to fully capitalize on its natural resources.
Achani said the move will promote conservation efforts since locals will give it their best to protect nature knowing they directly benefit from it.
The governor also demanded fresh gazettement of the Diani-Chale Marine Reserve.
She said previously the locals had lodged complaints and wanted the gazettement to be reviewed.
Achani said the land set aside for the Diani-Chale-Marine National Reserve is huge and would affect the livelihoods of the local fishermen.
“The gazettement was done but residents had opposed it. The entire land can’t be allocated for marine reserves, where will our people fish,” she said.
Achani said many Beach Management Units are having sleepless nights because of the proposed Diani-Chale marine reserve.
She said the gazettement must be revoked until stakeholders discuss the issue and come up with a suitable solution.
The county boss also called for disciplinary action against corrupt Kenya Forest and Kenya Wildfire Services officers.
She said some of the officers harass and arrest locals who go for firewood collection and fail to take action on illegal loggers.
Achani said KWS officers also harass innocent fishermen.
“It is so sad that KWS and KFS officers victimize innocent citizens. Sometimes women get arrested while picking firewood and the same officers don’t go for the real culprits,” she said.
Achani said the locals have respect for conservation but the way some of the officers treat them fuels hatred.
She said the Kenya Kwanza government and her administration are committed to supporting and improving the lives of ordinary people.
Achani said harassing hustlers as they try to earn their living is against the bottom-up economic agenda and should stop.
The governor stressed the employment of more KFS and KWS rangers, insisting that the majority must come from the areas that have forests and oceans.
“You can’t bring a person from Nairobi who has no clue of what an ocean or forest is and employ them as rangers,” she said.
Achani made the remarks on Monday during the celebration of World Wildlife Day at the Shimba Hills National Reserve in Kwale.
This year’s theme was ‘Connecting People and the Planet; Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation’.
The event was graced by the Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua.
Mutua promised to bring sanity to the tourism sector and put inline some of the rogue officers.
The CS warned the officers against harassing locals and urged them to provide proper guidance that might lead to effective compliance and enhance conservation.
“Don’t harass these people, help them understand and team up to promote conversation,” he said.
He, however, said the officers won’t relent to take action on the few crooked locals who always want to contravene the law.
He promised to revamp the tourism industry and address all the challenges affecting the sector.
