TANAPA refutes foreign NGOs’ misleading claims on Ruaha National Park saga

TUESDAY May 20, 2025

By The Tranquility News Reporter, Tanzania 

Tanzania has sharply criticized recent reports by international human rights organizations, accusing them of spreading a misleading and exaggerated narrative about two isolated poaching-related incidents in Ruaha National Park, one of which resulted in a fatality.

Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) has dismissed allegations linking these incidents to World Bank funding for conservation efforts, emphasizing their commitment to ethical conservation and community cooperation.

Allegations

On April 26, 2025, human rights organisations claimed that TANAPA rangers shot and killed 27-year-old fisherman Hamprey Mhaki in the Ihefu Basin within Ruaha National Park, where he and six others were allegedly fishing illegally.

The groups reported that Mhaki succumbed to a gunshot wound, though his body was not found, with only a large amount of blood reported at the scene.

TANAPA, however, refuted the claim, stating there is no record of any individual named Hamprey Mhaki in their operations.

In a separate incident on May 7, 2025, NGOs alleged that TANAPA rangers, supported by a helicopter, attacked herders and their cattle at Udunguzi sub-Village, Iyala, with live ammunition.

They claimed 20-year-old Sukuma herder Kulwa Igembe was fatally shot in the chest by a ranger.

These reports suggested that World Bank funding for the Resilient Natural Resource Management for Tourism and Growth (REGROW) project, approved in 2017 with $150 million, had enhanced ranger enforcement, contributing to such incidents.

TANAPA’s Narrative

TANAPA provided a detailed account of the May 7 incident, explaining that a four-ranger patrol team from Ruaha’s Usangu West unit was conducting a routine operation at Mjenje area.

The team seized 1,113 livestock illegally grazing within the park, as confirmed by Southern Zone Commander, Senior Assistant Conservation Commissioner Godwell Ole Meing’ataki.

Approximately 10 herders fled upon spotting the rangers

While escorting the livestock to the Ukwaheri ranger post, the patrol was ambushed around midnight by an unidentified group wielding traditional weapons, including arrows and spears.

“The rangers fired warning shots into the air to disperse the aggressors and safely delivered the livestock to the ranger post within an hour,” Meing’ataki said.

The following morning, May 8, the Mbarali District Officer Commanding informed park authorities of a death at Iyala Village during the confrontation.

A joint team, including police, park officials, and a medical doctor, investigated the ambush site, recovering traditional weapons and three injured cattle.

The involved rangers are currently in police custody pending further investigation.

The rangers fired warning shots into the air to disperse the aggressors and safely delivered the livestock to the ranger post within an hour,” Southern Zone Commander, Senior Assistant Conservation Commissioner Godwell Ole Meing’ataki.

TANAPA’s Response

At a ceremony marking the release of 500 seized livestock to resolve tensions with local herders, TANAPA’s Assistant Conservation Commissioner for Corporate Communication, Catherine Mbena, condemned the NGOs’ portrayal of the incidents.

“This occasion symbolizes our commitment to amicably resolving conflicts with local communities,” Mbena said, emphasizing TANAPA’s role in managing 21 national parks for both national and global benefit.

Mbena dismissed the allegations as a deliberate attempt to tarnish Tanzania’s reputation.

“TANAPA does not condone human rights abuses, which is why we are fully cooperating with security forces to investigate the incident where one person died under controversial circumstances,” she noted.

She also refuted claims tying ranger operations to World Bank funding, calling them “absurd.”

“TANAPA has managed Ruaha, one of our largest parks, for over 60 years. If we were as reckless as claimed, millions of poachers or trespassers would have been killed, which is simply not the case,” Mbena added.

Environmental and social context

The incidents occur against the backdrop of significant environmental challenges in Ruaha National Park, particularly related to the Great Ruaha River, a critical water source for three hydropower dams (Mtera, Kidatu, and Nyerere) that supply two-thirds of Tanzania’s electricity.

Decades of agricultural and pastoral mismanagement, coupled with population growth, have drastically reduced river flows, impacting hydropower generation and causing widespread power outages.

The drying of the Ihefu Valley and Usangu Plains, vital water catchment areas, prompted their integration into Ruaha National Park for conservation.

The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) reports that declining water flows have significantly affected buffalo populations and other wildlife in the park.

TANAPA has managed Ruaha, one of our largest parks, for over 60 years. If we were as reckless as claimed, millions of poachers or trespassers would have been killed, which is simply not the case,” Tanzania National Park’s Assistant Conservation Commissioner for Corporate Communication Catherine Mbena.

Meanwhile, pastoralist migration has overwhelmed the Mbarali District, where the cattle population has surged to 300,000, far exceeding the area’s capacity of 60,000.

This has intensified resource competition, with water scarcity exacerbating conflicts.

For context, producing one liter of milk requires 2,000 liters of water, a kilogram of rice needs 5,000 liters, and a kilogram of beef demands 22,000 liters—resources barely sufficient for a single Tanzanian household meal.

Commitment to Ethical Conservation

TANAPA reaffirmed its dedication to ethical conservation and called for fair, evidence-based discourse that acknowledges the complexities of protecting national parks while addressing community concerns.

“Our anti-poaching efforts protect global natural heritage. Condemning our rangers without recognising the dangers they face is reckless and uninformed,” Mbena concluded.

Tanzania continues balancing conservation with community needs, urging international organisations to engage constructively and avoid one-sided narratives that overlook the sacrifices made to preserve its biodiversityΩ