abstract

Tourism, the temporary movement of people from their areas of domicile and back, has brought many socio-economic benefits in many developing countries with limited options for development. The Kenyan Government Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper of 200 Irecognized the tourism industry as one of the best means of poverty reduction due to the high multiplier effect of tourism on every facet of the economy. Unfortunately, these benefits are often accompanied by negative social and environmental impacts, degrading the very resource base on which the tourism industry depends for sustainability. Ecotourism, being environmental friendly, emphasizes the institution of mechanisms to minimize the negative impacts, through the involvement of local communities, in the tourism area. This is important as these people determine the long-term future and profitability of the ecotourism industry. 111e study focused on Kimana Conununal Ranch, in Kajiado District, Kenya, where a wildlife sanctuary was established in 1992, officially opened in 1996, as the first ever community wildlife sanctuary in Africa. The study sought to investigate the extent of local community participation; the opportunities and challenges to the effective community participation; and how the nature of benefits and their distribution affects the motivation for the lscal community to participate in ecotourism management. Primary data was collected over a nine months period (April to December 2003), through questionnaires, interviews; site visits and focused group discussions. Secondary data was obtained from academic journals, relevant publications and the Internet. The study investigated the aforementioned opportunities and challenges and made recommendations on possible mitigation measures.