A Kenyan county that borders one of the country’s most iconic national parks is watching tourism dollars flow to neighboring regions because it lacks a single vehicle-accessible entry point into the park.
Murang’a County shares a boundary with Aberdare National Park, a protected area spanning five counties and known for its indigenous forests, waterfalls, and wildlife including elephants, buffaloes, leopards and the endangered bongo antelope.
But no road connects the county’s side of the forest to the park’s interior, forcing tour operators and visitors to enter through Nyandarua or Nyeri counties instead.
“We have the park here, but it is not accessible from the Murang’a side,” said Zack Gichane, proprietor of Aberdare Cottages and Fishing Lodge in Mathioya, who has operated the lodge since 2007.
“That is why other counties have overtaken us in terms of the number of hotels they have and the number of bed nights they record, which far exceed what Murang’a offers.”
According to an article by The Star, tourists wishing to reach attractions such as Elephant Hill must begin their journey on foot from the forest edge, walking roughly seven hours through undeveloped trails that become overgrown during rainy seasons. Gichane said his team often pays local residents to clear paths before visitors arrive.
“Many people enjoy hiking, but not everyone is able to tackle long forest walks,” Gichane said. “If people could drive into the park from this side, it would significantly boost the hotel industry because tourism investments depend on accessibility.”
The county’s tourism potential extends beyond hiking, Gichane said. Visitors also come for fly fishing on the Mathioya River, rafting, tea and coffee farm tours, and cultural experiences that could keep them on-site for up to six days rather than making day trips.
Gichane said basic investments in access roads, park entry points, washrooms, accommodation and restaurants — supported by the county government and the Kenya Forest Service — would improve visitor experiences while creating jobs for local youth.
The Murang’a Tourism Association, an affiliate of the Mt Kenya Tourism Circuit, has been pushing for those improvements to position the county as a premier adventure destination.
Local communities have embraced conservation alongside tourism development. Bernard Muraguri Wangui, a member of the Kiamuturi community, said residents planted 15,000 indigenous tree seedlings in April, with volunteers receiving avocado seedlings to establish orchards on their farms.
Community members also guide visitors to attractions including the Gikae Viewpoint and Gatango Waterfall.
Kariuki Kagure, secretary of the Greenshine Self Help Group, said the group is raising about 86,000 tree seedlings, 10% of which are fruit trees distributed to households to improve nutrition and incomes while expanding tree cover.
He appealed to the government and other stakeholders to purchase the more than 70,000 seedlings ready for planting ahead of the next rainy season.
For outdoor recreation and adventure tourism investors evaluating new destinations, the Murang’a case offers a clear reminder: access infrastructure is the single variable that determines whether a region rich in natural assets can actually put people on the trail, on the river or at the viewpoint.