Kenya minister denies plan to sell wildlife parks

Kenya’s tourism minister has denied that there are plans to privatise national wildlife parks and reserves.

Najib Balala had last week questioned why the state was still managing key tourism assets, noting that “these are things that need to be corrected, and this is time to think again”.

He told a European Union Green Diplomacy forum that the country was eyeing new investments and business models that would reduce the cost of operating the parks.

The minister’s remarks sparked criticism, with the local tourism and hotel keepers’ associations arguing that it was unwise to privatise a country’s natural and cultural resources.

But on Wednesday, Mr Balala told local Citizen TV that he had no plans “to sell the parks”.

“Parks cannot be sold. These are a national heritage, but they can be managed in a different perspective,” he said.

Tourism is among the top contributors to Kenya’s economy.