HC Deb 29 January 1947 vol 432 cc217-8W
113. Mr. Rankin

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the area covered by the four new game parks it is proposed to open in Kenya; in what part of the Colony they will be situated; and whether any of this land is fit for settlement.

Mr. Creech Jones

It is assumed that the four areas which my hon. Friend has in mind are as follow:

  1. (a) an area of 40 square miles adjoining the city of Nairobi;
  2. (b) an area of 400 square miles on the summit of Mount Kenya;
  3. (c) an area of 300 square miles on the summit of the Aberdare Mountains;
  4. (d) an area of 10,450 square miles (provisional) in the Sabaki-Tsavo region.

The first of these areas was formerly largely a game reserve and now includes a portion of forest area. It is comparatively small in extent. The areas on the summits of Mounts Kenya and Aberdare are at present Forest Reserves and are quite unsuitable for settlement. The greater part of the area in the SabakiTsavo region is fly-infested, waterless and barren and could never be used for agricultural purposes. Investigations into the potential uses for settlement of certain portions of this area are at present being carried out. No portion which is capable of supporting a human population will be included in the proposed National Park. Of these four areas, only the first which adjoins Nairobi, has yet been proclaimed as a National Park.