Dar won’t open Serengeti-Mara border crossing

It would also signify a new official border crossing between Kenya and Tanzania.

The KATO circular said the new development in the opening of the border point had been announced by Mr Balala after obtaining a confirmation from immigration chiefs in both Kenya and Tanzania.

“Our initial enquires to confirm the actual situation on the ground reveal that there is full deployment of immigration staff on the Kenyan side at Sand River, whereas they are yet to be deployed on the Tanzanian side,” reads the Kato message.

But Tanzania Tourist Board officials said the circular from Kato was misleading since no agreement had been reached to open the border point.

The officials added that the circular would create confusion and inconvenience tourists visiting Serengeti in Tanzania and Maasai Mara in Kenya.

The designated border point currently used by all tour operators from Tanzania and Kenya is Isebania-Sirari outside the Serengeti National Park.

“The Tanzania Tourist Board would like to inform all diplomatic missions, within and overseas, tourist representatives, tour operators, travel agents, operators of tourist accommodation establishments, transporters, tourists and the public, that the Sand River and Bologonja border crossing point connecting Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is not open,” the TTB communication reads.

“We would like our esteemed clients to note that Tanzania has no intention of reopening the border point. The entry point will remain closed for environmental reasons. The fragile ecosystem of the area, which is a World Heritage Site, cannot be sacrificed for the purpose of shortening the route between Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Park,” it added.

According to TTB officials, the authorised border crossing points currently are Namanga, Sirari-Isebania, Holili-Taveta, and Horohoro-Lungalunga (Tanzanian side listed first).

Since the Bologonja entry point between Kenya and Tanzania was closed 32 years ago, Kenyan tour operators have been lobbying for its opening in order to allow their vehicles to enter the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and other parks on the northern Tanzania tourist circuit.

Tour operators in Tanzania, on the other hand, claim that opening the controversial border point could kill the country’s tourism as hundreds of Kenyan tourist vehicles would enter Tanzania for game drives during the day and return to Kenya in the evening.

Serengeti is the source of the spectacular annual migration of over one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras to and from the Mara.

The wildebeest spend nine to 10 months roaming the 14,763 square kilometre plains of Serengeti park.

There are less than 12 tourist hotels, lodges and tented camps inside Serengeti National Park.

These have been designed to accommodate an optimum number of people to avoid mass tourism.