Kimana corridor

Kimana elephant corridor: a landowner's lament.
On Saturday, 25 April, Chinese-owned Sinohydro Corporation Limited began detonating heavy explosives in a sensitive wildlife area in southern Kenya to begin the excavation of an illegal rock quarry, effectively signaling the end of a key wildlife corridor and potential tourism revenue for local Maasai landowners.
The Chinese engineers located the quarry and a staff camp within a critical wildlife corridor extending from Amboseli National Park to Kimana Sanctuary to Tsavo and Chyulu National Parks. The corridor is vital to the survival of Amboselis wildlife as well as tourism and income-generating enterprises benefitting the local communities.
The Kenyan National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) had issued a Stop Order the day before the blasting began.
Disregarding the stop order, the Oloitoktok District Commissioner authorized excavation to begin. He brought police to the construction site to bar community protesters and wildlife scouts from the site as Sinohydro began the illegal work.
The clip shows an interview with a local landowner whose protest was squashed by physical threats and intimidation by the police.
A number of NGOs have come together to have a high court injunctions issued to enforce the stop order. Meanwhile, raw sewage is seeping from the Chinese road gang camp into the Kimana wetland.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• elephant
• wildlife
• corridor
• Amboseli
• Kimana
• wetland
• threatened
• Sinhydro
• roadbuilding

[veggiewarriors]

What's the latest on this issue? Is the corridor completely decimated? Is Sinohydro still operating in Kenya?