The governor of Kajiado County, Joseph Ole Lenku, has appointed a nine-person team to oversee the transfer of Amboseli National Park to Maasai management. I have been named chairman of the transition team. This is not a role I wished for but accept to help the governor ensure a professional and seamless transfer. The devolved management of Amboseli fulfills my own decades promoting the Maasai as traditional custodians and beneficiaries of Amboseli’s wildlife.

The members of the transition team are all highly experienced Kajiado County and private sector professionals: the County Attorney General, Augustine Sekeyain; Jeremiah Ole Ncharo, Cabinet Secretary Department of Wildlife, Tourism and Culture; Nice Leng’ete, human rights activist; John Kamanga, CEO of the South Rift Association of Landowners; Angela Lapasi Ketente, community development advocate; Benson Leyian, CEO of Big Life Foundation; Jackson Mwato, Executive Director of the Amboseli Ecosystem Trust, Felistus Kashu, founder of Funguo, a grassroots development organization, and Joel Ole Nyika, Chief Warden Amboseli as the secretariat.

At the inaugural meeting of the committee held on March 16^th, we sized up the enormous task we face in transferring Amboseli National Park to Kajiado County administration.

On the plus side, we are guided by three documents: the government advisory team report on the legal and financial terms of transfer; the Kajiado technical team’s strategic plan and vision for a third-generation park, and the Kenya Gazette notice governing the deed of transfer. The strategic plan for the third-generation park incorporates the Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan 2020-2030 and the Amboseli National Park Management Plan 2020-2030.

The main task of our transition team is to review the bill for County Assembly to set up the semi-autonomous body overseeing the management of Amboseli National Park and ecosystem. The body, the Amboseli Ecosystem Management Authority, is to include on its board representatives from the Kenya and County government, Amboseli ecosystem Maasai landowners, conservation organizations, and the business sector.

The functions the transition team is to oversee in the transition processes includes the financial provisions; revenue allocations; human resources; staffing and capacity building; mobilizing stakeholder support; enforcement of land plans and benefit sharing, and compliance with and enforcement of the Kajiado Spatial Plan.

We fully recognize Amboseli National Park covers 10 percent of the ecosystem, and that the Maasai community is dedicating over a million acres to ensure its ecological viability. Forty percent of the park revenues will be allocated to the community to ensure the health, viability and coexistence of wildlife and livestock. We also recognize conservation NGOs and business partners are the bulwark of Amboseli’s conservation programs and funding in support of KWS and the community.

To ensure the community and conservation partners play a continuing and firmer role, we shall engage them in five committees we are setting up to oversee the transition: financial terms; human resources; community engagement; NGO and business engagement, and the legal provisions and board procedures for the semi-autonomous management authority.

We shall hold a two-day retreat on 26^th and 27^th March prepare a detailed road map and schedule to fast track the Amboseli transition.

The full transition will take three years, starting with shared functions and revenues with the Kenya Wildlife Service starting July 1st, with full transfer in 2028. KWS will continue as the overall authority on wildlife conservation and management on behalf of the government and citizenry of Kenya.

We briefed the governor on our road map for the transition process after our meeting on 16^th, ahead of his address to the community and conservation organization the following day.

The launch drew a wide cross-section of the Maasai community and conservation partners active in Amboseli. Here is a briefing of the governor’s address given on Facebook later that day:

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From HE Governor Joseph Ole Lenku Facebook Page post. March 17^th 2026

Today, I presided over the inauguration of the Amboseli Conservation Area Advisory Team. I take this opportunity to sincerely thank all our partners who have consistently stood with us in supporting and safeguarding Amboseli.

The team is chaired by Dr David Western, a highly respected authority in conservation, whose decades of research and deep understanding of the Amboseli ecosystem bring immense value to this process. Together with a diverse team of experts drawn from various disciplines, this committee is well-positioned to guide a thoughtful, inclusive, and successful transition.

As a County Government, we remain firmly committed to working hand in hand with all stakeholders. We will foster an open and inclusive approach that brings everyone on board as we collectively shape and manage the future of Amboseli.

We are acutely aware of the sacrifices borne by our communities, particularly in the face of human-wildlife conflict. It is our duty to ensure that our people not only take pride in Amboseli, but also derive tangible and lasting benefits from its existence.

We recognize the importance of a well-structured transition—one that is fair, inclusive, and balanced across government, management, and the community. I wish to assure all stakeholders that no one will be left behind.

We therefore call upon your continued goodwill, partnership, experience, and support as we move forward together in this important journey.

In this regard, legislation is already before the County Assembly to establish the Amboseli Ecosystem Management Authority, a parastatal that will enable the park to operate with greater independence, efficiency, and focus, while remaining aligned to the broader interests of our people.