Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja has said that he will only support the highly hyped referendum calls, only if there is a question proposing to turn Tsavo National park to a game reserve.
Samboja said Tsavo National park which occupies more than 62 percent of Taita Taveta County, generates Ksh3 billion each year but residents don’t get anything in return.
"I will only support the referendum should it benefit my people through getting revenue from the National park which occupies more than 62% of our land. The park generates three billion each year but we don’t get anything in return. I will support the referendum if it benefits my people," he said on Tuesday.
Speaking during a meeting to find a solution to the long standing dispute over a KWS electric fence in Mwatate, the first-time county boss appealed to political leaders and Taita Taveta residents to put their differences aside when dealing with pertinent issues such as boundary disputes in the County.
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Governor Samboja spoke on the sidelines of a project of installation of a 36km Bura - Alia electric fence which was halted due to a boundary dispute at Alia area in Chawia Ward.
Residents wanted the fence to follow the KWS boundaries or enclose the mountain in the residential area where as Lualenyi Ranch Limited wanted it to follow it's boundary which passes a centimeter behind an Alia ECDE classroom.
Speaking at the same event, former Mwatate MP Calista Mwatela called for sobriety and inclusiveness when handling boundary disputes in an effort to end human-wildlife conflict.
The County administration led by Deputy Governor Majala Mlagui has been undertaking intensive public participation meetings to resolve the thorny issues of boundaries and the path of the electric fence affecting her residents at Bura, Alia and Chunga Unga.
The governor was accompanied by Environment, Lands and Natural Resources CeC Janet Mwawasi and Public Service and Administration CeC Clarice Mnyambo among other leaders.