County now making laws to compel KWS to pay land rates

Records from the Ministry of Lands show that about 86 per cent of the total land area in the region is occupied by private farms. [File, Standard]

The Taita Taveta County gvernment is formulating laws and policies to compel the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to start paying land rates for occupying about 62 per cent of the county's total land area.

Records from the Ministry of Lands show that about 86 per cent of the total land area in the region is occupied by private farms, with residents and leaders complaining that they had been deprived of their land rights by outsiders.

Residents only occupy less than 12 per cent of the total land area for agricultural activities.

Yesterday, Governor Andrew Mwadime said the laws his administration is formulating will enhance revenue collection and improve the delivery of quality services.

The governor said a Bill that will enable the county administration to start charging land rates to KWS is being drafted and will soon be tabled in the County Assembly.

"KWS owns a bigger part of the land in the region, while residents are suffering from frequent wildlife invasion in settlement areas, causing loss of lives and destruction of property," said Mwadime.

"Locals have also been demanding to cultivate and graze their animals in the park in vain. Once the Bill is formulated and assented into law, we will now start charging the conservation body to pay land rates to the county government."

The governor said the county's elected leaders have been pushing for a share of revenue generated from Tsavo National Park in vain.

A row recently erupted between local leaders and the National Land Commission (NLC) for compensating KWS billions of shillings for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that passes through the vast Tsavo ecosystem.

Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako faulted NLC for paying KWS n as compensation for the SGR line.

The MP claimed the KWS was illegally paid the Sh6 billion, which he insisted was supposed to have been awarded to the local community for their land that had been "grabbed in 1948".

The SGR line covers about 160km from Bachuma to Mtito Andei.

"I have constantly raised my reservations to the relevant authorities at the time, saying the compensation made to the wildlife conservation body was illegal. But despite these reservations, the matter was pushed under the carpet and let to pass," said Mwashako.

The Wiper party MP said KWS draws billions of shillings from the largest wildlife ecosystem from foreign tourists but nothing is ploughed back for rural development.