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How wildlife migration corridor Cabinet order will boost conservation, hit landowners
A herd of elephants.
The Cabinet approval of Nairobi National Park-Athi Kapiti Wildlife Migration Corridor on Tuesday will see sections of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and dozens parcels of public land surrendered to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for conservation use.
The Cabinet decision follows a presidential directive in July 2023, which called for urgent action to curb habitat fragmentation and escalating Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) around Nairobi National Park. The ambitious project will reconnect the park to surrounding conservancies in Machakos and Kajiado counties, restoring vital migratory pathways for species such as zebra, wildebeests, and gazelles.
In addition, the three-year project, beginning in the 2026/2027 financial year, is expected to leverage partnerships with conservation agencies and innovative financing such as nature bonds and debt-for-nature swaps.
“Cabinet affirmed that this initiative aligns with the Wildlife Corridors and Dispersal Areas Report (2016), Vision 2030, and Kenya’s commitment to sustainable biodiversity conservation,” said the Cabinet.
According to the report by the Dr Helen Gichohi-led task force on wildlife corridor connectivity between Nairobi National Park and Athi Kapiti plains, presented to former Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala in July 2021, the project was to cost at least Sh622.5 million.
The wildlife overpass over Namanga highway was estimated to cost Sh550,000,000 while an underpass on Viwandani road within EPZ was estimated to cost Sh50,000,000. Fencing part of the corridor (approximately 15km) was to cost Sh22,500,000. The task force further noted that the cost of the corridor could further rise owing to compensation of the National Intelligence Services (NIS) fence as well as investors who would be affected within the Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA).
Athi River EPZ zone currently has 21 companies with more than 16,000 workers. In the last two years, the zone has been attracting more investors in droves. At least 10 companies are at different stages of setting up multi-million-shilling factories. Some of the upcoming companies are along the proposed wildlife corridor, and they might suffer a false start.
Under rules governing EPZA, an investor can be allocated a maximum of two and half pieces of land to set up a factory within 24 months in a government effort to promote local industrialisation.
Manufacturers operating under these controlled zones enjoy incentives, including a 10-year Corporate Tax holiday, liberalised foreign exchange regime, 100 percent investment deduction on new investment and perpetual exemption from VAT and customs import duty on inputs, among others.
On Wednesday CEO Richard Omelu urged investors and employees not to panic as the government is working on a framework to cushion the investors and protect hundreds of jobs.
“The wildlife corridor will affect some of the factories within the zone but the investors will be compensated to move to alternative lands. The government is rooting for a tripartite win-win formula for all stakeholders. The authority is waiting for further directives from the Ministry of Trade. No cause for alarm for our employees,” said Mr Omelu.
The task force had proposed cancellation of leases or relocation of several investors along the proposed corridor attracting compensation to the investors. Further, the task force had advised the State to reach out to development partners and conservation NGOs to support some of the costs of implementation, to ease the burden on taxpayers.
The 100-metre corridor has been marked up running from the South East of the Nairobi National Park via the controversial earlier State-owned sheep and goat land existing at Kenya Pipeline Corporation wayleave. Then the corridor will run to East Africa Portland Company land up to the border with Export Processing Zone (EPZA) land, West of Namanga road. It is envisaged that the corridor will cross Namanga road by means of an overpass (A wild animals’ bridge over the motorway). Then, the corridor extends through EPZA exiting at the Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) line running further East to East Africa Portland Company land then to Kapiti plains that straddles to further East via Swara Conservancy.
At the tail end of the corridor, its width will increase to 200 metres.
Read: Man versus wildlife: Human development disrupts decades-old wildlife migration routes in Kenya
The Nairobi National Park covers an area of 117km square in Nairobi City County. It’s among the few parks in the world within the precincts of a larger city. It was the first national park to be created by the colonial National Parks Ordinance of 1945 vide Proclamation No.48 of December 16, 1946 and boundary plan number 204/1. Kapiti Plains is a semi-arid rangeland in southeastern Nairobi National Park. It’s a 13,000-hectare area owned by the International Livestock Research Institute. The plains are part of the wider Athi-Kapiti ecosystem, which is a crucial wildlife dispersal area for Nairobi National Park.
The country tourism industry recorded a positive revenue trajectory in 2024 posting Sh460 billion, with wildlife recognised as a major revenue artery. According to KWS, the total income was an increment from approximately Sh352.5 billion collected in 2023. Seventy-five percent of the total revenue was accrued from the wildlife that remains a magnet to both local and international tourists.
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