Lenku presses government over Amboseli handover, Magadi factory crisis

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku joins Maasai traditional dancers during Mashujaa Day celebrations in Maili 46, Kajiado West Sub-County. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Tension is mounting in Kajiado County over the delayed completion of the Amboseli National Park handover process and the unresolved dispute surrounding Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited.

Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has warned that the two issues must be addressed to safeguard the interests and rights of the Maasai community.

Lenku, who spoke during this year's Mashujaa Day celebrations, said the prolonged delay in finalising the Amboseli arrangement had created uncertainty among residents, who were eagerly waiting to benefit from the park's revenue and greater participation in its management.

The governor said the two issues, alongside the longstanding land disputes affecting Kibiko, remained among the most pressing communal concerns facing Kajiado County and required urgent intervention by the national government.

He called on President William Ruto's administration to honour its commitments on Amboseli and ensure that the outstanding issues surrounding the park's transfer and revenue-sharing arrangements were resolved without further delays.

“Amboseli is more than a national park. It is a treasure of Kajiado, a source of national pride and an integral part of the heritage of the Maa people,” Lenku said.

“For generations, our communities have lived alongside its wildlife, protected its landscapes and borne the challenges of human-wildlife coexistence,” said Lenku.

The governor said the process of restoring Amboseli to the people of Kajiado had been long and demanding, adding that residents expected the remaining administrative and financial arrangements to be concluded so that the community could begin enjoying the benefits of the agreement.

“The twists and turns towards restoring Amboseli to the people of Kajiado have been long, winding and demanding. We need it back now,” he said.

Lenku recalled President Ruto's commitment during the inaugural Maa Cultural Week in August 2023, which set the stage for renewed efforts to transfer greater responsibility for the park to the local community.

He said the subsequent transfer of the park to the County Government of Kajiado in November 2025 marked a significant milestone, but insisted that the process could not be considered complete until the outstanding financial and operational arrangements were implemented.

According to the governor, the immediate priority was the implementation of the agreed revenue-sharing framework, which is expected to progressively increase the county's share of revenue generated from the park.

Under the arrangement outlined by Lenku, the county is expected to receive 50 per cent of the revenue in the 2026/2027 financial year, with its share rising to 70 per cent in 2027/2028 before reaching 100 per cent in 2028/2029.

His sentiments were also echoed by area Member of Parliament George Ole Sunguiya, who called on the government to fast-track the handover.

However, the governor said the initial disbursement was still outstanding, raising concerns among local leaders who believe that delays could undermine the spirit of the agreement.

“The initial disbursement remains outstanding, and we look forward to its resolution before the end of this month as promised by the President,” he said.

“It would be a gross injustice if the forces against the interests of our people overcame the commitment of the President to correct the Amboseli mess,” he said.

The governor's remarks are likely to intensify calls for greater transparency over the management of revenue generated by the park, which is one of Kenya's major wildlife tourism destinations and an important source of livelihoods for communities living in its surroundings.

For many residents, the Amboseli question extends beyond revenue sharing to include community participation in conservation, protection of ancestral land and compensation for the challenges associated with living alongside wildlife.

Lenku said the county government had a responsibility to ensure that the handover translated into tangible benefits for residents while maintaining the ecological integrity of the park.

He cautioned that the transfer of management responsibilities should not be mistaken for the end of the process, saying the county and the community would now be expected to demonstrate that conservation and community participation could work together.

“The handover of management is not the end of our journey. It is the beginning of a greater responsibility,” he said.

“We must demonstrate that professional conservation and community participation can thrive together. We must protect our wildlife, safeguard the ecosystem, sustain tourism and ensure that those living alongside wildlife benefit from it,” said Lenku.

The governor said his administration remained committed to balancing conservation with the economic and social needs of local communities, arguing that residents who bear the costs of living near wildlife must also share in the benefits generated by tourism.

Beyond Amboseli, Lenku used the Mashujaa Day celebrations to renew his administration's demands for accountability from Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited, whose operations have been at the centre of a prolonged dispute involving land, water, environmental protection and the rights of the host community.

The governor described the Magadi dispute as a matter of monumental significance to the people of Kajiado, saying it raised fundamental questions about how natural resources were managed and whether communities hosting major investments received fair benefits.

He traced the dispute to longstanding grievances over the relationship between the company, the host community and the county government, recalling a protest he led on March 19, 2019, which culminated in the closure of the company's operations.

Lenku said thousands of residents, many of them from Magadi Ward, participated in the demonstration to demand action over issues they believed had been neglected for years.

“On March 19, 2019, thousands of residents, many drawn from Magadi Ward, joined me in a protest that culminated in the closure of Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited,” he said.

“As fate would have it, Tata Chemicals Magadi bought its way back into operations,” said the county boss.

The governor said the matter had resurfaced following the intervention of President Ruto through the Ministry of Mining, which he said ordered the company to shut down again on July 29, 2026.

He expressed hope that the latest intervention would lead to a lasting solution rather than another temporary closure followed by a resumption of operations before the outstanding concerns were addressed.

“We believe that the company will not buy its way back into operations until it fully complies with the law and its obligations to the county government and the host community,” Lenku said.

The dispute has placed the spotlight on the obligations of major investors operating in resource-rich areas, particularly where communities have raised concerns about land ownership, water access, environmental degradation and the distribution of economic benefits.

Lenku said his administration had consistently raised questions about outstanding land rates, the status of the company's land lease, county licensing requirements and the commercial abstraction of water from the Nkurman area.

“Since taking office, I have remained committed to addressing these injustices. The County Government has raised serious questions regarding outstanding land rates, the status of the company's land lease, county licensing obligations and the commercial abstraction of water from the Nkurman area,” he said.

He insisted that the issues required transparent scrutiny and a lawful determination, warning that any attempt to resolve the dispute without addressing the concerns of the county and host community would only prolong the impasse.

“The principle is simple: no investor is above the law, and no community should be denied its rightful place in the utilisation of its natural resources. Every investor must meet their lawful obligations, just as every citizen and institution must respect the law,” the governor said.

Lenku acknowledged that Tata Chemicals Magadi had contributed to employment, livelihoods and economic growth in the region, but maintained that such benefits should not be used to shield the company from accountability.

“We recognise its contribution to jobs, livelihoods and economic growth. But investment must be accompanied by accountability, environmental responsibility, respect for community rights and a fair contribution to local development,” he said.

He welcomed President Ruto's intervention, saying the national government and the Ministry of Mining were seeking a lasting resolution to the dispute.

The county government, he added, had appointed a team to participate in a special committee established to address the contested matters.

Among the issues Lenku said required urgent attention is an estimated Sh12 billion in unpaid land rates arrears, which the county government considers a major outstanding obligation.

The dispute also involves claims concerning approximately 224,000 acres of community land alleged to have been illegally occupied, as well as questions surrounding the commercial extraction of community water resources.

The governor said the county was also seeking the implementation of a comprehensive Community Development Agreement (CDA) to ensure that the host community receives a fair share of the benefits arising from the company's operations.

Environmental degradation was another major concern highlighted by Lenku, who said the interests of residents must be considered alongside commercial activities and the need to sustain economic investment

The governor accused individuals acting on behalf of the company of attempting to find ways of resolving the dispute and resuming operations without first addressing the county government's concerns.

“We are aware that agents of Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited are pulling all strings possible to sidestep the County Government by seeking to resolve the dispute and resume operations without addressing the above matters,” he said.

“Our eyes are wide open, and nothing short of a fair and just resolution to the impasse will be accepted,” said Lenku.

Lenku thanked residents who had continued to press for answers, saying their persistence had kept the issues alive despite the lengthy dispute.

He maintained that the county would continue to participate in the process aimed at resolving the outstanding matters, insisting that any settlement must comply with the law and protect the interests of the host community.

The outcome of the negotiations is expected to have significant implications for the future of the company, its workforce, local businesses and households that depend directly or indirectly on its operations.

A prolonged closure could affect employment and the local economy, while a return to operations without an agreed settlement could deepen mistrust between the company, the county government and residents.

Lenku said the challenge was therefore to secure a solution that recognised the contribution of investment while ensuring that legal obligations, environmental safeguards and community rights were respected.

The governor also pointed to the Kibiko land question as another longstanding concern that the county leadership could not afford to ignore.

He said the Maasai community had endured years of uncertainty and pain over the loss of ancestral land through dealings that he alleged were questionable and, in some cases, facilitated by unscrupulous individuals and rogue public officers.

Lenku said the concerns surrounding community land had to be addressed through transparent investigations and lawful processes capable of restoring public confidence and protecting the rights of residents.

He maintained that the protection of ancestral land was central to the broader question of justice for the Maasai community, particularly in areas where residents fear losing their land to powerful interests.

The governor's remarks placed Amboseli, Magadi and Kibiko at the centre of a broader debate over community rights, natural resource management and the responsibilities of both national and county governments.

While the three matters involve different legal and administrative processes, Lenku said they shared a common thread: the need to ensure that local communities were not left behind when decisions were made about resources and land in their ancestral territories.

For Amboseli, residents are waiting for the agreed revenue-sharing framework to be implemented and for the remaining handover arrangements to be completed.

In Magadi, the county government is demanding that outstanding land, water, licensing, environmental and community development concerns be resolved before the dispute can be considered settled.

In Kibiko, the governor said questions surrounding ancestral land must be confronted to ensure that alleged historical injustices are not allowed to persist.

Lenku said his administration would continue to pursue the three matters, arguing that lasting peace and development in Kajiado depended on public institutions respecting the law and protecting the rights of communities.

He called on residents to remain united and vigilant as the county government engages the national government and other stakeholders in efforts to resolve the disputes.

The governor maintained that economic development and conservation could only succeed in the long term if communities felt that their interests were recognised and their concerns addressed.

As pressure mounts over the Amboseli handover and the Magadi factory dispute, the key test for both levels of government will be whether the commitments made can be translated into concrete action, transparent agreements and lasting solutions for the people of Kajiado.