For the Maasai of Kajiado County, whose ancestral lands cradle Kenya’s iconic wildlife, President William Ruto’s handover of Amboseli National Park to host , six decades after Kenya gained independence, marks more than an administrative shift. It is a powerful symbol of inclusion, recognition, and true representation in conservation.

Speaking at the 3rd Edition of the Maa Cultural and Tourism Festival, Richard Oloitiptip, Vice Chairman of the Maasai Council of Elders, Kajiado South, could not hold back his emotion.

“We say thank you for giving Amboseli back to us. We say thank you for remembering the Maasai,” he said.

His words captured the mood of the day, echoed by festival attendees who praised President Ruto’s legacy in empowering and restoring dignity to communities that have long borne the weight of marginilisation

“I am fully aware that there are voices in the conservation community, both at home and abroad, who still carry doubts about this decision. To them, I say this: Nothing has been lost today; in fact, everything has been gained. This is not a weakening of conservation; it is renewal because conservation that is led by the people lasts longer, works better, and heals deeper.”

Margaret Stoni, a resident of Amboseli and Member of Kitenden Community Conservancy, a wildlife dispersal corridor adjacent to Amboseli National Park captured the community’s optimism vividly: “The wildlife is our ATM, ni kama kukamua ndovu upate pesa ya utalii,” she said, loosely translating to “milking the elephant through tourism.”

“Our children go to school, they live a decent life, they dress well, and it is going to be better now that we have our land back. We will protect our animals, the wildlife, and our domestic animals.”

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku described the handover as the return of a people’s heritage, a living connection to their history and identity.

“The wildlife within the Amboseli National Park is our heritage, ” Lenku said.

Governor Lenku emphasised that under county management, Amboseli would be developed into a “third-generation park”, one that balances ecosystem health, wildlife protection and community livelihoods.

“The ecosystem upon which this wildlife and these people live, the wildlife itself, our natural God-given heritage, and our community livelihoods will be our three top priorities,” he said.

“In the past, the environment and community livelihoods were not given due consideration. It was actually like repatriating profits to another country.”

Governor Lenku revealed that a semi-autonomous entity will soon be established through the county assembly to manage Amboseli, ensuring that benefits are equitably shared and that decision-making remains close to the people.

“We will devolve this function further to the community so that this semi-autonomous body created by law will look after the ecosystem, integrate community livelihoods, water for our animals, support for dairy farmers, education for our children, and more roaming space for wildlife,” he explained.

He also injected humour into his speech, drawing laughter from the crowd.

“If we ask you people from Nairobi to come and graze your cows the way you see our boys grazing their cows there with wildlife nearby, you will die of shock and fear, but we do not fear; they are a part of us. Therefore, this is a game-changer for the Maa nation, a game-changer for the nation of Kenya,” Lenku quipped.

Conservationists have also hailed the move as a milestone in Kenya’s conservation journey.

Nancy Githaiga, Country Director at the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), described the Amboseli handover as a continental model for community-led conservation.

“This is not just about changing who manages a park; it is a pivotal moment for community-led conservation. Across the continent, we are seeing a shift where decisions about land, wildlife, and natural resources are moving closer to the people who depend on them,” Githaiga said.

She added that the new model in Kajiado represents a chance to reimagine conservation from the ground up: rooted in local culture, driven by community voices, and aligned with development goals.

“It is about self-determination, how African communities define success on their own terms,” she noted.

For the Maasai, Amboseli’s return is not just about land, it is about legacy, belonging, and a renewed partnership between people and nature.