Resource information
The future of wildlife in our conserved
ecosystem depends largely on the future planning for
land use in the adjacent areas. All National Parks
and game reserves in Kenya, as they now exist, are in
some degree or other dependent on the relationship
between land use changes and wildlife in the areas
sorrounding them. If the surrounding lands deteriorate
through misuse, or if, in the management no consideration
is given to wildlife, the national parks and game
reserves will suffer, or,even be destroyed. Nairobi
National Park pr~sents a-case in point. If this park
has to survive, as it is, there must be a check of the
land use changes in the Kitengela and Ngong hills are_as.
There were three (3) specific objectives of this
study. Firstly, to identify and, analyse the changes
in land use which have been/or are taking place in
the adjacent areas of Nairobi National Park since its
establishment in 1946; secondly, to find out their main
,
impacts on the park and its immediate environment.
Finally, to suggest an optimum land use system for
the area that takes into account the ecological,
social, economic, cultural a~d political factors at
local, regional and national levels.
one natural ecosystem. It was found that changes in
From the study it was observed that Nairobi
National Park, Kitengela area and Ngong hills form
land use in the adjacent areas of Nairobi National
Park have been taking place over along time but the
pace has increased particularly, since independence.
Six significant areas of land use changes, namely,
changes in land tenure, livestock production, crop
pro,uuct~on, urban settlement, rural settlement, ,
physical infrastructure, conservation and others were
identified. It was found further that these changes
in land use exercise impacts on the Park and its
immediate environment. Specific impacts were realized
on wildlife, vegetation and water resources. It was
observed that a number of constraints and limitations,
namely, high population growth rate, land tenure
system, change in attitudes, rapid urban development,
national government policies, departmenta~lization
of the government bodies, lack of technical manpower,
lack of equipments and lack of funds exist and may
hinder future development in the area.
The study proposes an integrated land use policy
upon which Nairobi National Park, Athi Kaputei plains
and Ngong hills can be planne~and managed as one
ecosystem. Its aim is to identify areas of concentration
for the different land use activities and interests and
plan these as areas of land use specialization but
maintaining a clear functional linkage between them so
that, at the same time they are together capable of
fun~tioning as an interrelated whole system. The study
further suggests that a detailed study regarding the
possibility of planning and managing Nairobi National
Pa.rk as an "outdoor zoo", be undertaken by the wildlife
planning unit in consultation with relevant experts
as may be identified by the unit. Its aim should be to
establish in more clear terms the feasibility or ,,
otherwise of such a policy, and the advantages and
disadvantages associated to it. As policy priorities,
it is suggested that in order to create a strong public
participation, the government should establish measures
to provide the landowners who permit wildlife the use
of their land resources with an economic incentive
from wildlife conservation. Finally, we propose a need
to constantly monitor the changes in land use and human
population in the study area so that any trend
representing a hazard to wildlife is observed and
appropriate counteraction initiated in time.
However, it is considered that the implementation
of an integrated land use policy would ensure the
continued viability of Nairobi National Park and other
ecosystems in the country.
