Protect Ngorongoro at any cost, says Clinton

Tuesday
May 5,  2015

Former US President Bill Clinton calls President Jakaya Kikwete from the Loduare Gate of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) to appreciate Tanzania’s efforts in conserving wildlife at the NCA. PHOTO | CORREPONDENT      

By Zulfa Musa, The Citizen Correspondent

Posted  Monday, May 4  2015 

In Summary

Excited by the unique conservation, which allows wildlife to co-exist with humans, Mr Clinton could not resist calling President Jakaya Kikwete on his way back from the NCA, telling him how he was impressed by the scenery in the crater.

Arusha. Former US President Bill Clinton has said Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) must be protected at any cost to retain its status as a world’s heritage site of immeasurable allure.

Excited by the unique conservation, which allows wildlife to co-exist with humans, Mr Clinton could not resist calling President Jakaya Kikwete on his way back from the NCA, telling him how he was impressed by the scenery in the crater.

According to the Tanzania Tourists Board, the Ngorongoro attracts over 600,000 visitors annually, accounting for over 50 per cent of the country’s arrivals which stand at 1.2 million.

Mr Clinton saw 19 lions, some black rhinos and herds of buffaloes and wildebeest when the former US Head of State visited the crater on his way back from Nainokanoka Ward within the NCA where the Clinton Foundation is supporting a health initiative.

The former US President inoculated Maasai children at Nainokanoka Village Dispensary where mothers from the pastoralist community turned out in large numbers to receive him.

Mr Clinton assured the community that his foundation would empower the dispensary for the facility to improve health of the mothers and children by carrying out vaccinations in a bid to prevent emerging diseases and reduce the cost of treating them.

Mr Clinton, whose foundation built a dispensary at the Nainokanoka Ward, promised to install another refrigerator for the storage of vaccination drugs, laboratory test samples, and sterilised vaccine equipment, as the remote area was not connected to electricity.

“All what I wanted to do after retiring from the presidency is to help the needy in developing countries particularly in Africa where the gap between the haves and the have-nots is considerably wide,” he said as he posed for photographs with his hosts.