Vacations Blog

Trouble still seems to be brewing in Kenya’s Masai Mara as the local people block the entrance gates to tourists. The protests have been off and on for 3 weeks in wake of a new deal signed between Narok County Council and Equity bank over a new smart card system that has been implemented in the Game Reserve. The idea behind the smart card was to eliminate corruption and make the entrance process much more efficient. The protests are on-going as the Narok County Council broke the law by secretly doing this deal as the countries constitution states, decisions like this must be made clear to the public prior to any final decisions being made, which was not the case.

Thousands of tourists have descended on the Masai Mara during this festive season on a Kenya safari only to see their path has been blocked by angry protesters. On tourist said “Someone has got to fix this mess; I did not take a loan to come and see Masai people protesting outside the park. I want to see the animals.” Anyone who has the vaguest idea of what’s going on in the Kenya economy will know that the Masai Mara is an important revenue generator for the country.

If you are still to book your festive trip and are looking for a trouble free holiday then a Zambia safari to the South Luangwa National Park is right up your street, and although the Masai Mara is a spectacular Game Reserve, now is certainly not the time to visit in wake of recent developments.

The main reason that so many people have become wound up by this situation is because under the contractual payment obligations if the total annual revenue isn’t more than Sh1.5 billion the Narok County Council must pay 50% of the difference alongside a service fee of the total revenue collected to Equity bank. The problem is that Narok locals say the Masai Mara doesn’t earn Sh1.5 billion annually and therefore the 50% difference plus a service fee will have to come out of the Narok County Councils pocket instead of using that money to improve the local region.

A situation as complex as this simply won’t work itself out overnight and until a compromise is made it would be better if you are looking for a trip to Africa to travel to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania instead. Although Tanzania has a similar system in operation they have the right balance and issues surrounding the smart card system throughout the parks in Tanzania are almost non-existent.

A new strategy to improve beach security along the Kenyan coastline has started to yield results with many more tourists deciding to visit the beach instead of staying in their hotels. The plan to streamline beach operations which has consistently been a perennial source of conflict between the government and various beach operators, has begun to take shape courtesy of a beach management programme costing Sh150 million. Stake holders in the tourism industry, curio sellers, beach operators and market traders have all begun to relocate their activities from Mtwapa Creek all the way to Tudor.

This buoyed up security has not only enticed tourists to the beach but it has also attracted more people in Kenya’s coastal region to take a Kenya safari. 2000 operators have been designated to prevent tourists being hassled on one of Kenya’s most popular beaches in a joint project set up by the Kenyan government and the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Unlike taking a Namibia safari last year, the safari industry in Kenya took a battering in tourist numbers, as the threat from the Al Shabab militia, the Somali based terrorist organisation was at an all time high with 2 kidnappings of tourists from Kenya’s northern eastern coast.

Many of the larger hotels along Mombasa beach front including the Sarova, Voyager Beach, Travellers, Whitesands & Neptune Beach have now begun to put their sun beds back out onto the beach in the wake of new and improved security, rather than only confining them to the hotel compounds.

It seems as though Kenya’s quick actions regarding it’s security may have saved it’s tourism industry and whilst the end of 2011 was somewhat of a bleak year for the country, 2012 looks as though it may be one of the most successful yet. Instead of heading out to Africa next year on a Botswana safari don’t disregard Kenya as a destination just because of the threat from the Al Shabab Militia.

The owner of one of Mombasa’s beach front hotels said that over the 2011 festive period there were no incidents involving the harassment of it’s guests which in comparison to last year when 50% of the guests complained is a great turn up for the books.

Narok county council have stated that from today the only way to get in and out of the Masai Mara National Reserve is by using a new electronic ticketing system. All visitors to the Masai Mara will now need to purchase a Smart Card from the Equity Bank before embarking on a trip to the Reserve. The Equity bank has signed a 10 year deal with park authorities to collect entry payments and also payments for optional activities including balloon safaris and camping. “The electronic ticketing system will reduce those with intentions of corrupt practices” says Council chairman Jackson ole Kamoye.

Has the Kenya safari changed for good? The answer to that at the moment is certainly no, but it’s a great step forward for the tourism industry in Kenya as the Masai Mara is one of the most visited parks on the African continent. The smart card is the sole way to pay for your entry to the Mara which makes the process much more straight forward and much more transparent.

I would imagine that parks and reserves all over Africa will be monitoring the progress of the smart card system in the Masai Mara with the hopes of introducing a similar system into their countries establishments as well. Perhaps soon you too could be picking up a smart card to head out on your Botswana safari. Corruption in Africa at all levels is well above average and it seems Kenya is keen to stamp this practice out. A payment of cash at the park gate is the usual method of entry but it’s easy to see how your money can sometimes go straight into the back pocket of the park warden. It may be worth checking before you head out on your next Namibia safari that a scheme like this hasn’t already been implemented.

The new smart card system benefits tourists greatly if they are on a self-drive holiday and are heading to the Masai Mara. Now there can be no confusion about which currency you must pay in and exchange rates at the time, it’s just a simple swipe of a smart card once on your way in and then again on your way out.