Rimoi National Reserve to open its gates to tourists
The main gate at Rimoi National Game Reserve, Elgeyo Marakwet County. Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and Lamu governor Issa Timamy headline the guest list for this weekend’s grand re-opening and re-stocking of the Rimoi National Reserve in Elgeyo-Marakwet County. PHOTO | STANLEY KIMUGE |
What you need to know:
- Governors whose counties fall within the North Rift tourism circuit along with executives from a number corporate agencies will also attend the event whose climax will be the restocking exercise, game drives and bird-watching sessions.
- Elgeyo-Marakwet director of communications Mr Vincent Bartoo confirmed on Tuesday that there will also be a cultural festival and conservation race.
- According to Elgeyo-Marakwet tourism executive Mrs Anne Kibosia, over Sh22 million has been spent on adding value and develop infrastructure within the reserve that will be officially re-opened on Friday.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and Lamu governor Issa Timamy headline the guest list for this weekend’s grand re-opening and re-stocking of the Rimoi National Reserve in Elgeyo-Marakwet County.
Governors whose counties fall within the North Rift tourism circuit along with executives from a number corporate agencies will also attend the event whose climax will be the restocking exercise, game drives and bird-watching sessions.
Elgeyo-Marakwet director of communications Mr Vincent Bartoo confirmed on Tuesday that there will also be a cultural festival and conservation race.
According to Elgeyo-Marakwet tourism executive Mrs Anne Kibosia, over Sh22 million has been spent on adding value and develop infrastructure within the reserve that will be officially re-opened on Friday.
“These projects include opening up road networks into and within the reserve, street lighting, alongside construction of dams and water supply within the reserve,” said Mrs Kibosia.
She said the county government has also hired 10 wildlife rangers and a chief warden whose duties will compliment those of Kenya Wildlife Service rangers.
MULTPLE PROJECTS
Other projects carried out by the regional government include establishment of uni-huts, toilet facilities, development of camping sites and construction of gates.
Mrs Kibosia said Mr Balala will also commission an electric, solar-powered wire fence constructed by the Kenya Wildlife Service to ease perennial human-wildlife conflicts within the reserve.
“We shall be having a public baraza at Kobulwo Trading Centre that will be attended by several governors from counties that came together under the umbrella of North Rift Region Economic Block (Noreb) whose aim was to unite and promote joint business block in the region,” she added.
The Noreb counties include Baringo, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia and Turkana.
Elgeyo-Marakwet KWS warden Mr Dominic Kilonzo said the agency was intending to re-stock the Rimoi reserve with variety of wildlife species following the completion of the infrastructural development.
“KWS has an elaborate process to bring in a number of wildlife species to the reserve,” said Kilonzo.
Mrs Kibosia said an environmental impact assessment on the restocking programme had been concluded by KWS and the county government.
