‘No human casualties’, Maasai Mara Association refutes reports of tourist deaths in floods

The association says that despite the floods that devastated the area and led to the destruction of property and wildlife, all tourists living in the affected areas were safely evacuated.

A statement from Harison Nampaso, chairman of the Mara Association, on Saturday reassured tourists about their safety in the wake of the high season starting in June.

“In the wake of the recent floods in the Maasai Mara region, we acknowledge the circulation of several reports of wildlife casualties and unverified information,” Nampaso said.

“In an official statement to the Mara Managers Association on May 4, 2024, Chief Officer Tourism Samwel Leposo confirmed that no human casualties have been reported in the flooded areas to date and that all tourists have been safely evacuated from camps and lodges where necessary. ”

According to the Association, it appears that most of the flood-affected areas are adjacent to the Mara River, Talek River and Sand River, where floods have displaced people, destroyed camps and lodges along their banks and affected the tourism industry and local economy.

While calling on the government to act and help rebuild critical infrastructure, Nampaso says the Talek Gate Bridge, Mara Simba Bridge and Mara Rianta Bridge are impassable and damaged and the Mara Bridge is completely destroyed is because of the floods.

“In addition to the impact on tourism, local communities living near the flooded rivers face significant hardship. Homes have been flooded and essential services have been disrupted, leading to humanitarian concerns such as displacement, shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies,” he said.

“The floods have also affected the rich biodiversity of the Maasai Mara ecosystem. Wildlife habitats along the Mara River, Talek River and Sand River have been inundated, displacing animals and possibly causing loss of life.”

The Association has also urged humanitarian organizations to do their part and provide medical aid, relief supplies and other financial support to the local community.

“We call on the international community, NGOs and concerned stakeholders to extend their support to the ongoing relief efforts in the affected areas of the Maasai Mara region. Contributions in the form of essential supplies, financial assistance and disaster management expertise are critical to meet immediate needs and facilitate recovery,” Nampaso said.

The development comes after Home Minister Kithure Kindiki also confirmed that multi-agency teams had safely evacuated 90 people from Masai Mara, where 19 lodges were flooded after the Talek River overflowed.

“Emergency response teams from Narok County together with the County Security team and the Red Cross successfully evacuated 90 persons in coordinated efforts of ground and air units in the Masai Mara where 19 lodges were flooded after the Talek River flooded. No fatalities have been reported and a tracing agency has been set up at the Masai Mara Sekenani gate,” Kindiki said.