Fires in national parks have been contained amid suspicion of human activities as the cause, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has said.
Miano visited a section of Nairobi National Park that was affected by a fire incident on Friday night.
She said
the fire, located at the furthest corner of the park near Kitengela, affected
210 acres of the park’s 28,000 acres.
“The
blaze has been fully contained and game drives within the park remain
unaffected. I urge all Kenyans to remain vigilant and promptly report any signs of
fire outbreaks to authorities,” she said.
According
to Miano, these fires are suspected to have been caused by human activities
such as smoking, bush burning, and honey harvesting.
"It is believed that somebody passing might have dropped a cigarette, and because this is a fire season—every year between January and March, we have the high alert of fire season due to the dry season—it easily caught the dry savannah, and that's how the fire spread,” Miano said.
She added that Kenya Wildlife Service teams have been
battling wildfires at the Aberdare Forest, Ruma National Park in Homa Bay
County, and South Island National Park (Loiyangalani, Marsabit County), where a
bushfire in the Marti Esse plains burned approximately 60 square kilometers.
Other parks that have fallen victim to the
wildfires include Mt. Elgon National Park, where the fire erupted in the
Kimothon Forest, and Tsavo West National Park.
The ministry said they have managed to contain fires at the Aberdare ecosystem, where outbreaks were witnessed in the Embaringo, Wanjohi, and Gatare areas.
"We are reviewing and strengthening our fire management strategies to prevent future outbreaks. This includes investing in early warning systems, firebreaks, and community education programs, because they are significant partners," Miano said.
She thanked
officials from Kenya Defence Forces, KWS, Kenya Forest Service, Nairobi County
Government, communities and partners, who worked tirelessly to contain the
fire.
The CS
toured the park on Saturday as officials remained vigilant and ready for more
such incidents in major parks.
According to the Meteorological Department, most
parts of the country continue to experience extreme heat, although some areas
of western Kenya and the Rift Valley are expected to receive light rainfall
starting next week and into mid-March.
"Generally, the temperatures have been rising. There are some places where you find the temperatures are slightly lower than the average, but that doesn't change the upward trend. That is why we would advise that we be careful with what we do because we have a lot of dry leaves being thrown all over,” the Meteorological Department said.
"Things are not that bad. The season will come as per the forecast. It is only in northern Kenya that rainfall will be reduced, as well as the coast, but that doesn't mean zero."
