Security on Serengeti, Mara border beefed up
What you need to know:
- Mr Tunai said he had a fruitful meeting with Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete in Dar es Salaam last month, adding that a customs office would be opened between the Maasai Mara and Serengeti national parks to ease the flow of holidaymakers between the two tourist attractions.
- Mr Tunai said the customs office would save tourists time. Currently, they are compelled to travel from the Mara back to Nairobi to access Tanzania through Namanga in their bid to reach Serengeti.
- An estimated 4,000 tourists are expected to visit the Maasai Mara from July to October.
Narok County is working with the Tanzanian government to beef up security along the Maasai Mara-Serengeti border as the tourism peak season begins.
Joint patrols are being conducted to keep poaching and terrorism at bay during the wildebeest migration season, which attracts tourists from all over the world.
Governor Samuel Tunai yesterday said the efforts had made the two game reserves safe for local and international tourists seeking to witness the phenomenon.
Mr Tunai said he had a fruitful meeting with Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete in Dar es Salaam last month, adding that a customs office would be opened between the Maasai Mara and Serengeti national parks to ease the flow of holidaymakers between the two tourist attractions.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta enabled me to meet the Tanzanian leader over insecurity along the border and we agreed to work together to ensure the area is safe,” he said.
He spoke at the Serena Hotel in Maasai Mara.
Mr Tunai said the customs office would save tourists time. Currently, they are compelled to travel from the Mara back to Nairobi to access Tanzania through Namanga in their bid to reach Serengeti.
“These are hundreds of kilometres. We found it necessary to work together to create a way where visitors touring Tanzania can access the Mara easily and vice versa,” said Mr Tunai.
He said the number of vehicles entering the reserves would be controlled to avoid stressing the wildlife within.
“We have to limit the number of vehicles to five at any one time to protect the animals,” he added.
He said the spectacular crossing of the crocodile-infested Mara River by the wildebeest as they migrate from the Serengeti National Park is a major attraction, hence the need to boost security.
He said the wildebeest have been crossing the river every day for the past one week and the scenario was likely to continue up to November, when they will return to Serengeti through the same river.
An estimated 4,000 tourists are expected to visit the Maasai Mara from July to October.
