But while the Serena Group of Hotels remains one of our most respected clients, comments attributed to its company secretary, Damaris Angulo, citing "poor infrastructure, insecurity, congestion and littering," beg for comment.

It is true that littering is a problem in Kenyan parks, as it is in national parks worldwide. All parks, however, have stringent park clean-up programmes. Indeed, it is considered second nature for park personnel to collect any rubbish they come across during routine patrols.

Moreover, park roads, though gravelled, are all-weather and remain more motorable than most roads in the country, as local drivers who visit our parks will attest. Parks also remain some of the safest places for a tourist to be in Kenya, with no reported incident of an attack against tourists inside protected areas for years.

While KWS appreciates the support it receives from hotels and lodges, it is not fair for Ms Angulo to allege that, "It is hotels, not KWS, which take care of parks," when the organisation expends vast resources in conservation work. It is similarly unfortunate that a top executive in the hotel industry alluded to non-existent insecurity in our parks – especially at this difficult period for everyone in the tourism industry.

EDWARD INDAKWA
Corporate Communications
Officer
KWS, Nairobi

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