Conservation groups in Kenya have protested over a recent move by the government to hand over the management of a famed national park at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro to local authorities, saying the move is damaging to conservation and the tourism industry in the country.

More than 20 wildlife groups have written to President Mwai Kibaki who made the directive, urging him to reverse the decision last week to downgrade the famous Amboseli National Park to a game reserve.

According to Kibaki's directive, the management of the wildlife haven will move from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to a local authority, Olkejuado County Council, run by the area's Maasai community, giving the herds-men tribes access to the reserve's pasture.

Critics of the move have accused the government, saying it is an attempt to win Maasai votes ahead of next month's constitution referendum.

But supporters say the Maasai will now benefit from Amboseli's revenue as it corrects what they say was the "theft" of Amboseli 31 years ago, when the land was taken away from the Maasai people who had lived on it for generations.

Amboseli, internationally renowned as a haven for wildlife, particularly the huge herds of elephants that tramp across the grasslands, covers an area of nearly 400 square km in southern Kenya.

The park lies to the south of the capital Nairobi and is one of the most visited parks in Kenya.

It was declared a national reserve in 1948 and given to the Maasai community, but because of conflict between them and the wild animals it was converted to a national park in 1974.

It is famous for the stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa 's highest mountain, in neighboring Tanzania.

Amboseli brings in about 3.5 million US dollars a year from park fees and related tourist activities. This money helps administer Amboseli and other national parks in Kenya.

Wildlife tourism is one of Kenya's main sources of foreign revenue and international prestige.

The decision to de-gazette Amboseli has come in the middle of a fractious political battle over a proposed new constitution for Kenya.

The government's move to return its management to local authorities has been seen by some as an attempt to lure the Maasai into voting for the draft constitution prepared by the government, which risks rejection in the coming national referendum. CONSERVATIONISTS' UPROAR

The decision to involve local council authorities in the management of Amboseli National Park was reached late last month after a meeting between President Kibaki and elders from the areas bordering the national park.

But conservation groups in Kenya term the move illegal.

In an open letter to President Mwai Kibaki from the Born Free Foundation, the International Wildlife Coalition, the East African Wildlife Society and others says the move, known as de-gazetting, " sets a most unwelcome and potentially catastrophic precedent that could lead to the disintegration of Kenya's much envied national parks system."

The KWS says it was not consulted by the government over the decision.

KWS spokeswoman Connie Maina said the downgrading of Amboseli " was a very unfortunate decision."

"It may lead to the detriment of the reserve because the local council does not have the capacity to manage it," Maina said by telephone.

Officials with the state-run Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) have expressed deep concern, fearing that overgrazing and the potential for the council's mismanagement could lead to a dramatic decline in visitors to the park.

"I am offended. This is a serious blow to conservation and tourism. This is a form of political poaching, its impact on the park will be far worse than poaching itself," said a KTB official who sought anonymity.

Steve Itela, a program officer with Youth for Conservation, a group of young Kenyans working to preserve wildlife in Kenya said the government did not consult conservation groups, the public nor parliament before turning Amboseli National Park over to local management.

"There are very clear procedures involved in the act that give direction as to how a national park can be de-gazetted and in this particular case there was a complete violation of the wildlife and conservation and management act," he said.

Itela said that section of the law prohibits the conversion of national parks into other land use patterns without exhaustive debate by all stakeholders including parliament.

"I am fearful that Amboseli National Park, which is so important to Kenya and to Kenya's wildlife, is the victim of an arbitrary and illegal decision which puts the wildlife of this world-famous area and right across the country at risk." said Will Travers of the Born Free Foundation. MAASAI APPLAUSE

However, the Maasai community around Amboseli, who have fought for years for access to the reserve and its income, said the move was long overdue.

"The handover was morally right," said Maasai elder Ben Ole Koisaba, deriding as "nonsense" allegations of a political payoff but conceding the timing of the move was questionable.

"It was long overdue, the park sits on the heart of the Maasai land," he said. "But the timing was apparently wrong."

But Tourism Minister Morris Dzoro denied any political motive in downgrading Amboseli National Park to a national reserve and vesting its management to the local council.

"As far as I am concerned there is no politics in it," he said.

"This is something that has been going on before and it should not be read in the outlook of politics. We reached at this stage after the leaders had approached us and it was after a very long discussion that we reached such a stage," the minister said.

Dzoro said his office is ready to talk further with the stakeholders in wildlife conservation arguing that the KWS will assist the local communities manage the reserve.

The conservation groups are now asking President Kibaki to rescind his decision or they say they will take the matter to court.

Source: Xinhua