Maa elders threaten to withdraw support for Ruto over Amboseli Park dispute

Maasai elders drawn from 10 counties convened in Kajiado to deliberate on the stalled transfer of Amboseli National Park from the national government to the Kajiado County Government.

The elders criticised what they described as unnecessary delays despite President Ruto publicly announcing the handover during last year's Maa Cultural Festival.

"We were in Amboseli when the park was handed over to Kajiado County under Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, and we thanked the President. Later, we were shocked to hear that Amboseli had never actually left the hands of the national government," Maa elder Julius Ole Ntayia said.

"We held a very big celebration when the President announced that Amboseli had finally returned to us after 51 years. As the Maa community, we were later shocked to hear that it would no longer be handed over to us," said Keleina Ole Nchoe, the chairman of the Maa Council of Elders.

The elders further argued that the Maa community continues to suffer historical injustices, saying they have not benefited from conserving land they have protected for generations.

"If it will not belong to us, yet we are the ones who have protected it, why should others enjoy the benefits while the wildlife found on our land has been taken away from us?" Ole Nchoe said.

"Those going around claiming that Amboseli should not be handed over because it will end up in the wrong hands should know that when Governor Ole Lenku retires, he will not take Amboseli with him. Amboseli belongs to the people and will remain theirs," said William Ole Kasio, chairman of the Maa Council of Elders in Kajiado.

The council warned that the Maa community's pledge to support President Ruto's re-election now hangs in the balance if the transfer remains unresolved.

"We want to ask our beloved President to return Amboseli to us. Do not return to politics before resolving the Amboseli issue," Ole Kasio said.

"As traditional elders chosen by the Maasai from every part of Kenya, we respectfully ask that Amboseli be returned to us as soon as possible," Ole Ntayia said.

Despite the elders' demands, the High Court in Nairobi on Sunday issued conservatory orders restraining all parties from interfering with the management of Amboseli National Park until the petition before the court is heard and determined.