By Elijah Gichunge
Picture by Phoebe Okall

With the ideal goal of conserving the County’s biodiversity through promotion of ecotourism, Meru Governor and his Deputy Titus Ntuchiu have today held successful discussions with a delegation from Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), Kenya Forest Services (KFS) Agricultural Society of Kenya, ASK and other Mt. Kenya East Ecosystem Conservation stakeholders.

The County government through the Tourism and Sports Departments, in collaboration with the KWS and KFS is set to do a joint development to extend the ecosystem conservation to ecotourism.

The government wants to open up Mt. Kenya Forest, the Lower Imenti forest which serves as the elephants’ maternity, for mountain tourism through road racing and ecotourism respectively. His proposition is to turn the elephants, that have been labeled a curse to the community, into income generating wild animals.

The government considers setting up a viewing tower at the Kinyaritha Swamp along Meru- Maua Highway, work on canopy walks at Mt. Kenya Forest through cable car project, rehabilitate Lake Nkunga, make nature trails and establish Municipal park around the Giant King Muru. All these are meant to help create employment opportunities, while acting as alternate sources of revenue for the county.

As a way of promoting sports tourism, Kiraitu said county will be holding an annual international mountain running, to nature the talents of the young generation, for income generation.

Ntuchiu, thanked the delegation for expressing concern for the proposals pointing out that the County government is committed to conserve the ecosystem, in collaboration with all the stakeholders, for mutual benefit.

Prof. Joel Laigong, KFS Technical Committee Chair, said they carried out feasibility studies on the areas for the proposed developments in order to establish their worth. He noted the projects are in line with the KFS conservation mandate, hence worth supporting.

Michael Wanjau, Assistant Mt. Kenya East Ecosystem Conservation, said the KWS is much ready for the partnership with the County administration, to develop its ideas in tourism by coming up with modalities for sustainable use of the forests. He said the plan was in line with world life and biodiversity related conservation, to promote ecotourism of the highly potential region, by taking advantage of the major elephant migration corridor.

Area MCA, Elias Murega thanked the Governor for the program which he said will create employment opportunities. As the representative of the people he promised to mobilize the community for support in that it is meant to improve their economic life.

Douglas Wakihuri, an ardent international athlete and Meru County Sports Council Member, highlighted that Mountain marathon is opportune for the county in that it will add to the list of the renowned world marathons; the Landon, Boston, Tokyo and New York. The Marathon is scheduled for August this year.