Narok County government has started a ban on usage of private vehicles for game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve, saying only safari trucks, safari land cruisers and safari vans are exempted.
The move will boost the reserve’s tourism revenues while reducing the impacts of tourism on its natural environment, as per the Maasai Mara Management Plan 2023-32, whose main objective is strengthening and harmonising management systems and improving internal collaboration between the two sections of the reserve, through for example, the establishment of an internal management committee.
Authorities say the plan will also align airstrip landing licensing throughout the reserve, and actions to improve relations with stakeholders, including Narok county legislators and officials, and neighbouring Serengeti National Park.
“In line with the implementation of the Maasai Mara Management Plan, we have banned the usage of private vehicles for game drive,” chief park administrator of Maasai Mara National Reserve Alex Nabaala, said in a statement sent to Narok County Government officials in charge of all gates and airstrips, dated June 3.
In 2023, the national reserve celebrated 75 years since its establishment back in 1948, and ban on use of private vehicles for game drives comes at a time when ever changing land-use in the Greater Mara Ecosystem as well as uncontrolled tourism infrastructure development is leading to diminishing dispersal areas and migratory corridors for wildlife, and escalating poaching and human-wildlife conflict.
“The vehicle that will be used for game drives are only the safari trucks, safari land cruisers and safari vans… kindly adhere to this strictly,” Nabaala said.
