Grumeti spends Sh370m on Mara schools, health, water
Senior Assistant Commissioner with the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (Tawa), Omari Msangi (left), hands over a computer to Serengeti District Commissioner Angelina Marko, part of equipment donated by Grumeti Reserves Limited to communities surrounding the Ikorongo and Grumeti game reserves in Bunda and Serengeti districts. PHOTO | Beldina Nyakeke
Serengeti. Grumeti Reserves Limited has spent about Sh370 million to procure equipment for education, health and water services in communities bordering the Ikorongo and Grumeti game reserves in Serengeti and Bunda districts, Mara Region.
The support is part of an agreement between Grumeti Reserves Limited and the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (Tawa) following the company’s concession to undertake conservation and community development activities.
Speaking during the handover on February 27, 2026, on behalf of the Grumeti Reserves CEO, the Community Development Officer for the Grumeti Fund, Ms Frida Mollel, said the assistance was a dividend of effective conservation and urged residents to sustain protection efforts.
She said the items included 3,014 desks for primary schools, 16 hospital beds six of them for maternity wards 19 computers, and a water supply installation for one primary school.
“Of the desks, 1,534 have gone to Bunda District and 1,480 to Serengeti District. Twelve beds are for Bunda and four for Serengeti, alongside ICT equipment for both districts,” she said.
Ms Mollel noted that under the 20-year agreement, the organisation would continue supporting socio-economic development in villages surrounding the reserves, while encouraging communities to recognise the value of conservation and participate fully.
Tawa Deputy Assistant Commissioner Omari Msangi called on local authorities to ensure the equipment is used for its intended purpose, adding that the authority would strengthen protection and manage problem animals that threaten farms and settlements.
“The wildlife sector still faces poaching and encroachment in protected areas. We all have a duty to ensure sustainable conservation by stopping acts that threaten it,” he said.
Bunda District Commissioner Aswege Kaminyoge said more than 4,600 pupils would benefit from the desks, while health facilities had received modern maternity and general-ward beds and schools would gain ICT capacity.
He urged residents to refrain from farming, grazing and tree cutting inside protected areas, warning that authorities would act against violators.
Serengeti District Commissioner Angelina Marko said conservation outcomes contribute significantly to national development and pledged continued efforts to maintain a secure environment for wildlife so that benefits to communities increase.
“We have a responsibility to help deliver improved livelihoods through better services in water, health and education, as demonstrated by Grumeti today,” she said.
