GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 14814

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by section 44 (3) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife gazettes the Plan in the Schedule hereto: SCHEDULE The Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park Management Plan 2024-2034 (hereinafter referred to as “the Plan”) defines the principles, management objectives and actions that Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park (ODSNP) stakeholders have designed to address conservation, tourism, community, security and operational issues in Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park and its adjacent areas. The Plan addresses the problems and opportunities in Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park through the following management intervention measures— (a) implementing the zoning scheme outlined in the Plan; and (b) implementing management actions described under the Plan’s four management programmes. The zoning scheme and management programmes are summarised in the following section: 1. ZONING SCHEME Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park comprises five zones: Closed Zone, High-use Zone, Wilderness Zone, Special-use Zone and Influence Zone. The Closed Zone is designated to protect the fragile montane forest while the High-use Zone allows for infrastructure development in the park. The Wilderness Zone provides a conducive environment for wildlife populations to thrive, and the Special-use Zone provides high altitude locations for national utility facilities. The Influence Zone supports local community livelihoods and conservation education efforts by Kenya Wildlife Service. 2. MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES The Plan comprises four management programmes: Ecological Management Programme, Tourism Development and Management Programme, Community Relations and Conservation Education Programme, and Protected Area Operations and Security Programme. These programmes are summarised in the following sections. 2.1 Ecological Management Programme The purpose of the Ecological Management Programme is to ensure that ODSNP’s threatened and rare species are conserved, degraded habitats restored, water resources conserved and rehabilitated and ecological processes maintained. The programme aims to achieve this purpose through implementation of a set of objectives that focus on: improving habitat management, improving conservation of species of special concern, promoting the understanding of ecological functions and strengthening climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. 2.2 Tourism Development and Management Programme The overall goal of the Tourism Development and Management Programme is to develop sustainable tourism that offers memorable visitor experiences based on the unique opportunities offered by ODSNP and its associated biodiversity, rich history and culture. To achieve this purpose five management objectives have been designed focusing on: developing and maintaining tourism-support infrastructure, diversifying tourism products and experiences to enhance visitor satisfaction, improving marketing efforts for ODSNP, strengthening tourism linkages between ODSNP and key stakeholders, and improving tourism administration and management systems. 2.3 Community Relations and Conservation Education Programme The Community Relations and Conservation Education Programme aims to ensure that the ODS community is aware of the ODSNP’s conservation values and is actively supporting and participating in the conservation of biodiversity both within and outside the park. This will be achieved through implementation of management objectives that focus on: reducing human-wildlife conflicts, enhancing conservation education and community outreach, improving community goodwill and promoting conservation- compatible land uses in the areas adjacent to ODSNP. 2.4 Protected Area Operations and Security Programme The purpose of the Protected Area Operations and Security Programme is to ensure that management operations are effectively and efficiently supporting the implementation of ODSNP’s management programmes, and the safety of its natural resources, staff, visitors and assets is ensured. The management objectives under this programme focus on: strengthening management systems and institutional collaboration, improving management infrastructure, strengthening human resource capacity and welfare, and enhancing security operations. 2. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION Kenya Wildlife Service will oversee the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Plan, with support from stakeholders. A 3-year implementation plan has been developed to guide the execution of the Plan. The plan outlines management actions and activities under each of the four management programmes. Additionally, the Plan provides a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the potential impacts of implementing each management programme. The Plan is deposited at the offices of the Director-General, Kenya Wildlife Service along Langata Road, whose address is provided below: The Director-General, Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241–00200, Nairobi. Tel: (254) 020 6000800/6002345 E-mail: kws@kws.go.ke Dated the 15th November, 2024. REBECCA MIANO, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife.