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The control of billions of shillings collected annually from the world’s famous Masai Mara Game Reserve is prominently featuring in the Narok governorship race.

The thorny issue has since seen Azimio-One Kenya coalition aspirant Moitalel Ole Kenta take head-on outgoing Governor Samuel Tunai over control of the reserve.

Besides clannism and party politics, Tunai’s support for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Patrick ole Ntutu is at the heart of the contest that has turned to be a two-horse race.

Narok is a tourism hub by virtue of being home to the reserve, which fetches about Sh3 billion annual revenue.

Kenta, also the Narok North MP,  at the weekend rattled the ‘Tunai-Ntutu political marriage’, accusing them of lack of transparency in the management of revenue from Mara.

Kenta has been critical of Tunai’s choice of Ntutu to succeed him.

Speaking in Narok West recently, the Narok North MP accused Tunai of trying to impose Ntutu on the electorate.

Accommodative figure

 Tunai has been cleared by Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA to run for the Senate seat.

Kenta has built his candidature around Maasai politics while ole Ntutu has been keen to project himself as an accommodative figure in an increasingly cosmopolitan county.

“It should be clear that this year’s election is not about clannism, one community or the other; it is about the welfare of our county, about interrogating how funds have been used and putting the next leadership in place to make sure the community benefits,” Kenta said.

Ntutu’s campaign received a huge boost after he bagged a direct ticket from UDA and was unveiled by Ruto as the party flag bearer while Tunai endorsed him as his preferred successor. 

In their line-up, Ntutu will be governor candidate while Tunai will run for the Senate.  However, Kenta accused Tunai of pushing for election of his foe-turned-ally to ensure he protects his interests when he leaves office.

However, officials in the county have defended Tunai against claims of wrongdoing.

In a press statement, Finance Executive Morgan Siloma, three months ago, said the law does not allow devolved units to spend local income at the source, hence county officials have no access to Masai Mara income as claimed.

“County audits have never raised that issue and all audits for the last three years have passed through the Senate for scrutiny,” Siloma said.  

Tunai has described the allegations as false and malicious, accusing Kenta of misleading the people.

However, Kenta had been campaigning on the promise of opening taps of the Mara back to what they were during the tenure of the now defunct Narok County Council, which was abolished with the coming of devolution.

He has also promised to recruit all clerks and rangers who were sacked during the Tunai administration if he clinches the governor seat.

Kenta accused Tunai of replacing the former employees with outsiders from other communities.

Cosmopolitan county

The two leaders are also embroiled in a war of words after Tunai censured Kenta and a section of the Narok Council of Elders, following their remarks that the next governor and his deputy should come from the Maasai community.

Tunai, who hails from the minority Siria, said Narok is a cosmopolitan county and all communities have a right to equal opportunity, including in leadership positions.

“I was elected on the platform of uniting communities in the cosmopolitan county and I am ready to campaign vigorously against leaders promoting negative ethnicity,” said Tunai who enjoys the backing of members of the Kipsigis community, who constitute a considerable population in the county.

In what is seen as a masterstroke ahead of the poll, ODM leader Raila Odinga had earlier in the year united five governor hopefuls in a bid to get one of them to face off with the UDA candidate.