Narok Governor Samuel Tunai has called on domestic and foreign tourists to take advantage of the Easter holiday to visit the Maasai Mara game reserve and enjoy the spectacular experience of the wild.
Tunai who spoke at Kekonyokie ward in Narok East sub county, said security had been beefed up in the game reserve ahead of the Easter holiday as hundreds of visitors are expected to flock the game reserve.
“I ask all Kenyans to tour their country and see how beautiful their country is. In the last two years, the visits were limited because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
The second term governor observed the wildebeest migration had started early hence those who visit the game reserve at this season would experience the world eighth wonder.
Narok County depends mainly on the Maasai Mara for local revenue where it collects about Sh 3 Billion annually.
However, in the season when the world was hard hit by Covid-19 pandemic, the county government announced that it lost Sh2.25 Billion revenue.
Tunai said the loss was occasioned by international travel advice issued by many countries in the world that banned foreign travel.
“The county gets a revenue of Sh3 Billion every year from the Maasai Mara and we lost about 90 percent of the collection during the pandemic season as no visitors visited the game reserve,” he said.
The great migration is one of the most impressive natural events of the world involving more than 1,300, 000 wildebeest, 500, 000 gazelles, 18, 000 elands and 200, 000 zebras.
The migration that mainly occurs between the months of July and September is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country.
By Ann Salaton
