Factories at EPZ to make way for wildlife corridor
Wildlife Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya said the 100-metre-wide corridor has already been mapped.
The government is preparing to demolish factories in the export processing zone (EPZ) in Machakos County to establish a wildlife migration route linking Nairobi National Park to the Athi-Kapiti plains.
The project seeks to ease human-wildlife conflict and support conservation efforts.
Wildlife Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya said the 100-metre-wide corridor has already been mapped, beginning from the south-east of Nairobi National Park, cutting through the EPZ and East Africa Portland Cement land, before reaching the Kapiti Plains.
The Kapiti Plains, a semi-arid zone, covers 13,000 hectares under the International Livestock Research Institute.
The Athi-Kapiti ecosystem is vital for the movement of animals such as zebras, giraffes, elands, and wildebeests, along with predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas.
An underground tunnel has also been proposed along the Namanga highway to assist animal movement without disrupting traffic.
"Factories along the corridor will be demolished and relocated within the zone. We have also engaged private landowners along the proposed corridor. We are currently registering private conservancies to accommodate them," Museiya said.
She emphasized that a budget for the 2025-2026 financial year has been developed to facilitate the relocation process, mainly covering the moving of machinery and structures.
However, compensation to factory owners has not been prioritized.
The PS pointed out that the corridor project already has President William Ruto’s backing and awaits Cabinet approval.
Speaking at Empakasi village in Athi River sub-county on Saturday, Museiya mentioned that the ministry has been issuing compensation cheques to landowners under a land lease program managed by a non-State wildlife foundation.
According to the PS, wildlife attacks are a concern as animals increasingly stray into human settlements. She said that the Wildlife Department is making efforts to compensate affected victims.
"The Nairobi park has been closed by human settlements, infrastructure, and other developments. In the near future, we project a Nairobi national zoo, considering the park only covers 17,600 acres," she said.
The Wildlife Act of 2013 outlines compensation rates of Sh5 million for death and Sh3 million for injury caused by wild animals.
"Kenya Kwanza inherited Sh15 billion pending bills. In this financial year, we are disbursing Sh1.76 billion," Museiya noted.
The PS said the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife is exploring ways to protect conservation lands from being converted into agriculture and commercial developments.
"We are going on a serious deep dive to look at how conservation can pay. We are focusing on regulatory mechanisms for the sector, the wildlife economy after realising that as long as there are no benefits or revenue streams, conservation incentives are low, prompting more conversion of conservation land to settlement, agriculture, and commercial purposes," Museiya explained.
The ministry also expressed hope that, over time, the corridor would stretch to connect Nairobi National Park to the Amboseli ecosystem, creating a larger, freer environment for wildlife.