General
The first two weeks of April were hot, windy and dry, this enabled us to burn two areas before the rains started on the 16th. We then had days of heavy rain throughout most of the Triangle, with 174 mm (7”) recorded at Serena. This brings our total rainfall for the year to over 600 mm.
We engaged Nicholas & Co to conduct a systems audit on revenue collection. We should have their final report in early May.
There was a fuel shortage in the first half of April, alleviated when the Government increased fuel prices on the 14th. The shortage hampered our activities and we stopped the road team and roadworks in the Main Reserve over Easter, until we received a supply on the 20th.
We met with the Chief Officer and Director of Tourism for Narok County on the 28th and discussed the Triangle but also briefed them on our Collaboration Agreement. We have agreed to meet with key personnel on the 9th May to plan for the next quarter’s priorities in the Main Reserve.
Collaboration Agreement
Work is progressing in the Main Reserve, we managed to repair a number of vehicles and the shovel, and grade the road to Sand River. The water supply to Oloolomutia is nearly complete and there is now running water in the houses and at the gate – for the first time in almost 20 years. Three houses will be renovated by mid-May. We are assisting the monitoring team and they are doing an excellent job, we hope that in may we will be able to expand the team and have units based at all the main centres.
COVID-19
We continue to see well under 1% positivity and so far 323,932 people have tested positive in two years, from nearly four million tests. So far 5,649 people have died.
Tourism
We are beginning to see a gradual return to normalcy with 2,217 Non-resident visitors in March, well above the number in 2020 – the first real month we were hit by Covid - but still down on March 2019, when we had 3,102 overseas visitors. Easter was very busy with locals but then visitor numbers dropped and we don’t expect any real upturn until mid-June. Thereafter, we are expecting a very busy July and possibly August.
Staff
Twelve members of our security team completed 60 days Junior Commanders’ training at The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Law Enforcement Academy in Manyani. They were all commended for their discipline but only one, Cpl Kennedy Kimutai was considered outstanding – he came 4th of 32 trainees. Six were above average, whilst three were average and two below average.
All our County rangers have completed their Police Vetting, with the last group being vetted on the 20th. This should now allow them to be issued with modern weapons.
Cpl Joshua Masai lost a child in a fire accident on the 19th, our sympathies to him and his family.
He staff held their Annual Staff Welfare meeting and elections on the 24th.
Wildlife
Our patrols came across three dead hippo in the Mara River, downstream from Mara Bridge, there was no apparent reason for their death.
Our burn attracted large numbers of topi, zebra and Thompson’s gazelle up from the border, lions started moving into the burnt areas, as did a pair of cheetah.
A giraffe was treated by the Sheldrick/KWS veterinary team on the 26th, after it was found with a thin spear through its neck. Another was found dead on the escarpment with no apparent injuries.
Security
We arrested six people, one of them after he disrupted a group of tourists having breakfast near the Tanzanian border. Four wire snares were recovered and we found where a hippo had been butchered in the Triangle.
The Iseiya team arrested two people on the night of the 2nd. They had set up an ambush at Sampura in the Lemai Wedge and started seeing torch activity across the river soon after dark. They then watched as three people crossed the river and started hunting with dogs. One was arrested soon after 8.00 pm and the other was caught after being tracked by Morani, one of our dogs. They had already killed two Thompson’s gazelle. One of the two was on TANAPA’s most wanted list and notorious for killing hippo.
One of our cameras recorded someone in the Lemai Wedge at lunchtime on the 4th, the rangers were immediately deployed but he managed to escape, despite being tracked by one of our dogs for several kilometers. The Nigro-are team managed to arrest two, of four, people who entered the Wedge just as it was getting dark the same evening.
The Nigro-are team found four wire snares set for giraffe at Miungu on the 7th.
One person was arrested on the 8th after he chased a group who were picnicking near the border with Tanzania. He then proceeded to feed himself, while the group sat in the vehicles and watched. He admitted knowing the two people who were arrested on the 2nd and we suspect that he was the third person. He was obviously disorientated and extremely hungry and only had marijuana in his pocket.
The Nigro-are rangers arrested one person during a day patrol at Nyakita Tone on the 13th.
Our remote cameras recorded two different groups of people on the 27th, the first at 7.30 in the morning. Unfortunately it was so wet that one of our trucks was unable to get into position – Morani, one of our dogs, followed the trail for several kilometers but we were unable to catch up with the poachers.
One poached hippo was found at Nyumba Nane on the 28th, sadly the poachers had left with the meat before the hippo was found.
Revenue and Accounts
Our management accounts for the first three quarters of our financial year continue to show better than expected income, a near fourfold increase in Park fees over the same period last year. Despite this, we would not have managed to maintain our level of work and service without the very considerable support from Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS), they literally saved us during Covid and we will never be able to thank them enough.
We continue to run at around 17% over budget, largely as a result of easing up on expenditure with increased income. Staff related costs continue to be the main cause of the cost overrun, but maintaining old vehicles also contributed.
The price of fuel increased by Ksh 9 per liter (80 US cents) on the 15th, after a severe fuel shortage across the country. We are already beginning to see a number of inflationary indicators, with fuel, cement, steel and cooking oil all going up in price. These will all no doubt have budget implications in the coming months.
Table 1: Income and expenditure for nine months ending March 2022
Repairs and maintenance
We diverted the stream away from the major erosion at Naisukut, I hope that this will suffice.
We rebuilt the drift on the Sabaringo Stream near the Kichwa airstrip and also realigned the approach, as the original approach was about to be washed away.
We graded the main road to Oloololo and then down to Little Governors. We then resurfaced a section of the main road to Mara Bridge.
We worked on the Serena airstrip
Collaboration agreement
We concentrated on housing and the water supply at Oloolaimutia and the Warden’s house has been completely renovated and painted. Two other houses should e completed before the end of May. We have laid 3.5 km of new pipe and are currently working on the source, this work should be completed by mid-May.
We graded the road from Keekorok to Sand River before we had problems with the equipment and we also repaired the approach to a drift going to Look Out hill.
Report on focus for April
Focus for May 2022
· Complete ranger training for 12 recruits;
· Prepare Annual Work Plan and Budget; and
· Hold Planning meeting with County Staff;
Work on Collaboration Agreement
· Establish new monitoring/enforcement teams;
· Train on basic administration;
· Train Tourism Officers;
· Continue renovating housing at Oloolaimutia;
· Complete water supply;
· Maintain vehicles and equipment;
o Road works;
§ Keekorok to Ashnil;
§ Keekorok to Talek; and
§ Repair sections from Keekorok to Oloolaimutia.