Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director General (DG) Prof. Erastus Kanga have jointly laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Makueni County Conservation Resource Centre at Mtito Andei town.
The resource centre will have a conference hall and administrative and liaison offices, which will serve as an educational and training centre, especially for the local residents who will be learning at the premises.
“When we sat down with the governor, we saw the road will not assist you so much. So, we decided to put up the Makueni Conservation Resource Centre (MCRC) in Mtito Andei,” said Prof. Kanga while addressing residents at Mtito Andei town.
“The residents will hold meetings free of charge at the conference hall; our officers will be there to educate on matters of conflict resolution relating to human/wildlife conflict,” he added.
At the same time, the KWS boss revealed that they will also construct kiosks, where women and the unemployed youth will be given the opportunity to do business in an effort to generate income and fight rampant poverty afflicting most of the people.
“Women and youth will have kiosks that they will work from in an orderly way. We shall provide clean water and we intend to bring development to this place. We need wananchi to be calm but know that this land belongs to the government,” said Prof. Kanga.
At the same time, Prof. Kanga said that his organisation will station a drone at the centre that will help in gathering information, touching on human/wildlife conflicts in the area.
Further, the DG cautioned political leaders to stop divisive politics that he said hindered development in the area.
“We have come to bring development to you, and development does not need noise; leaders should avoid divisive politics,” warned Kanga.
On encroachment, the DG put on notice individuals who have encroached on government land and asked them to move out to avoid being evicted, saying this was a government directive that they would have to execute.
Speaking at the same event, Mutula said that the resource centre will boost tourism, hence creating employment for the youth and women in the area.
“This place will attract tourists and after being served at this facility, they will also receive services from the local businesses, thus creating employment,” he observed.
Additionally, Mutula said that the conservation centre will alleviate the long distances wananchi have been traversing to report issues of human/wildlife conflict in Kiboko in Makindu.
“We will have offices here like the one we have in Kiboko so that issues related to human/wildlife conflict can be solved easily,” said Mutula.
“In places like Laikipia and Narok, they have infrastructure like this one, which is used by tourists, so by having this one, we will boost every sector of the local economy,” he added.
By Patrick Nyakundi and Albanus Kioko
