Tourism players want the Kenyan Government to repair the badly damaged Narok-Sekenani road to the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Tour operators are worried that the bad condition of the road might affect visits to the popular Kenyan park ahead of the wildebeest migration spectacle, expected to begin next month.

Kenya Association of Tour Operators (Kato) Coast Branch Chairperson, Monika Solanki, said, following the rainy season, the 86km road was in an appalling state. She said tour vans had ended up being stuck in the mud due to the poor condition of the road.

The Kato official explained that the Narok-Sekenani road was key for tourism, since many wildlife lovers used the road to get to the Mara. She added that the Mara deserved a better road as it attracted tourists from across the world.

“It’s quite unfortunate that the road to the Mara is in deplorable condition yet the reserve generates billions of shillings of revenue every year,” she said. Solanki called on the Kenyan government to repair the road ahead of the wildebeest migration in July, adding that it would be difficult for tour operators to take tourists to the park if the road was not repaired urgently.

“Tour operators have suffered huge losses after tour vans broke down owing to the pathetic condition of the road,” she added.

Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA) Chairman, Mohamed Hersi, questioned why the Narok County Government was not repairing the road when it collected almost $30 million every year from park fees. He said the road had been neglected for years, yet many local and international tourists get to the Mara by road.

“It should be noted that only a few tourists travel by air and therefore the road must be improved so that safari seekers can travel to the Mara without inconvenience.” He said the Mara could attract more visitors this year if the road could be improved before the wildebeest migration.

However, the county government maintains the road is not its responsibility. Last month, Narok Governor, Samuel Tunai, said the road fell under the National government and therefore it was the duty of the state to improve it.

“Our mandate is to maintain roads within the park while the Narok-Sekenani road is supposed to be maintained by the National government,” Tunai said.

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