Local Communities and Ecotourism Development in Kimana, Kenya

Abstract

This article presents a case study of a wildlife-based ecotourism project in which the people of Kimana have sought to exploit the commercial advantage of their communal land which lies near Amboseli National Park (ANP) in southern Kenya. The Kimana Community Wildlife Sanctuary represents one of the best examples of a community-based ecotourism project that promotes the ideals of local participation in wildlife management and creates opportunities for the local Maasai pastoralists to benefit from wildlife tourism. Whilst local participation has a positive resonance, the case study suggests that a great deal of the ecotourism potential for the Kimana area has not materialised. The chapter concludes that internal political rifts within the community which have both hampered meaningful Maasai participation in tourism benefits and facilitated the exploitation of Kimanas tourism potential by external commercial operators