WILDLIFE SAFARI TOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA : A case study of Samburu National Reserve

Kenya is world famous for its wildlife attractions and magnificent landscape. Increasing number of tourists visit the country's national parks and reserves such as Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru , Tsavo and Samburu among others. Parks and reserves have become the pillar of the country's tourism industry and significant amounts of revenue is generated from safari tourism activities. However, the rapid development of mass tourism and haphazard development of tourism facilities in the parks and reserves conflict with the principles of sustainable utilization of the wildlife resources. Moreover, the protection of wildlife in the parks and reserves and tourism development may conflict with people's socio-economic and cultural interests. But it is generally acknowledged that the development of sustainable tourism and local community involvement in the decision-making process and equitable distribution of tourism revenues can play a significant role in poverty alleviation and improvement of the living conditions of the local people. This research takes the case study of Samburu National Reserve to: (i) Analyse the forms of tourism activities that are taking place in Samburu National Reserve and its environs; (ii) examine the role the local people living in the adjacent areas are playing in wildlife conservation and tourism development and (iii) examine whether tourism assists in the improvement of the living conditions of the local people. This research is based on both primary and secondary information. A total of 350 local people were interviewed at various locations including residential areas, hotels, cultural centres, attraction sites and adjacent marketplaces. The interviews covered various research aspects such as the perceived negative and positive impacts of tourism, problems confronting the local communities, the role of the local communities in tourism development and wildlife conservation, and the reserve and the management, and local community relationships.