• Every year, wildebeests migrate from Kenya to Tanzania across the Mara river for greener pastures and fresh water.
  • However, this migration is facing a huge threat. A safari lodge that was recently built in the park by Ritz-Carlton  is allegedly sitting on a migratory route according to conservationists

With many species in the Maasai Mara Reserve already seeing population declines of over 70 percent since the 1970s, the government must step up to protect what’s left and allow wildlife to thrive in their natural habitat.

Every year, wildebeests migrate between Tanzania and Kenya, crossing the Mara River in search of greener pastures and fresh water.

This spectacular sight has over the years drawn tourists to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, enabling Kenya to generate more revenue from the annual event.

The hotels that accommodate the tourists allow them to enjoy the view easily during their stay without worrying about where to rest before and after watching the animals cross the river.

However, this migration is facing a huge threat. A safari lodge recently built in the park by Ritz-Carlton in collaboration with local developer Lazizi Mara Limited is allegedly sitting on a migratory route, according to conservationists.

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This has sparked a dispute between the community and conservationists who wish to protect the fragile ecosystem, and the developers who aim to give tourists a ‘front-row seat’ to observe one of Africa’s greatest natural spectacles.

The lodge, which charges $3,500 per person per night and offers plunge pools, personalised butler service, and close views of wildlife, underscores the tension between high-end tourism and conservation priorities.

A lawsuit filed by Meitamei Ol Dapash, director of the Institute for Maasai Education, Research and Conservation (MERC), in Kenya’s Environment and Land Court targets Marriott International, Lazizi Mara Limited, and Kenyan authorities. It seeks to suspend the lodge’s operations, arguing that it obstructs a vital wildlife migratory corridor connecting the Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Parks.

He also argues that the lodge disrupts not only wildebeests but other species that rely on the route to find food and maintain genetic diversity.

He claims that before the lodge was built, no transparent environmental impact assessment was carried out, and is asking the court to suspend all operations.

This raises serious questions about the balance between wildlife conservation and luxury tourism.

The local Maasai community has since lodged complaints about how such developments have disrupted their daily lives, land, and cultural practices.

Unlike specialist safari operators with long histories of conservation and community engagement, Ritz-Carlton is new to the region — raising concerns about whether profitability pressures could override ecological and community commitments.

Despite Narok County adopting a management plan in 2023 that called for a suspension on new tourism developments until 2032, it has publicly defended the project as lawful and aligned with conservation goals.

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