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Adeladius Makwega – Makundusi, Serengeti, Mara
On June 2, 2026, the Mara Regional Commissioner, Colonel Evans Alfred Mtambi, accompanied by the Mara Regional Administrative Secretary, Mr. Gerald Musabila Kusaya, various Serengeti District leaders, and members of the Mara Regional Security and Defense Committee, held a major public meeting in Makundusi Village. Residents from seven villages in the Natta, Kyambahi, and Ikoma wards attended the meeting.
Following a session that lasted approximately six hours, the government's decisions regarding the installation of protective fencing along village boundaries were announced by Regional Commissioner Colonel Mtambi.
Addressing the gathering, Colonel Mtambi said:
“The Mara Regional Government received requests to take specific measures to ensure the safety of citizens living in areas bordering wildlife conservation areas inhabited by dangerous animals. The Central Government and the Regional Government have jointly implemented various measures, and additional actions are continuing to address these challenges.”
Colonel Mtambi explained that the problem has intensified due to two main factors:
“Essentially, Mara Region, like other regions that coexist with dangerous wildlife, faces challenges caused by both an increase in wildlife populations and a growing human population. As the population increases, people continue to settle closer to protected areas. To address this situation, various short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures have been undertaken.”
He outlined several short-term measures already implemented, including deploying wildlife officers to protect communities in high-risk areas, providing education on how to respond to encounters with dangerous animals, and collaborating with various stakeholders to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, including the use of bee drones.
Additionally, he stated that fencing has already been installed in several areas through partnerships with investors and other stakeholders, while additional areas are scheduled for fencing. The project covers villages located within 30 kilometers of protected areas during the first phase and an additional 35 kilometers during the second phase.
Colonel Mtambi noted that there had previously been misunderstandings regarding six villages included in the project, as well as one village that requested to be included because of persistent wildlife-related challenges.
He added:
“Fencing is an important solution for reducing damage and risks caused by dangerous animals, but it is not a one hundred percent solution. Some animals, particularly members of the cat family, may continue to cause problems even after the fence is installed.”
He further stated that other measures being implemented include continued use of wildlife experts, strengthening wildlife outposts, increasing patrol vehicles, installing fencing, and expanding the use of bee drones. The objective of all these measures is to significantly reduce the problem.
Colonel Mtambi informed residents that the villages involved have two major economic groups: farmers and livestock keepers. He explained that some livestock keepers oppose having their grazing areas affected by the fencing project, while farmers generally support the installation of the fence in those areas.
According to technical assessments, there are two main reasons why the fence must pass through certain areas. The first is ecological: excluding some areas from the fence would block natural wildlife migration corridors used by animals moving between different habitats. The second is that altering the planned route could restrict wildlife access to important water sources.
Continuing to explain the Regional Government's decisions, Colonel Mtambi said that as of June 2, 2026, only two villages remained opposed to having the fence pass through their grazing lands.
He stated that the concerns raised by residents, particularly livestock keepers, include fears of losing access to grazing land. Another concern is that if livestock are required to pass through designated gates in the fence, dangerous animals could chase both livestock and herders, while the fence itself could become an obstacle to escaping such threats. A third concern involves the difficulty of searching for lost livestock, a process that often continues late into the night.
Concluding the government's position, Colonel Mtambi announced:
“For the villages of Motukeri, Bokole, Nyichoka, Natambiso, and Nyanungu, the installation of wildlife-control fencing should begin immediately. For the villages of Makundusi and Pakinyigoti, meetings involving technical experts from all sides should commence immediately so that appropriate decisions can be made once those consultations are completed.”
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