KWS targets Sh20 billion revenue

Kenya
Wildlife Service wants to increase its revenue to to Sh20 billion by
the year 2020, director Julius Kipng'etich has said. Kipng'etich said KWS aims at increasing its annual revenue return at 10-15 per cent. Kipng'etich was addressing employees of KWS at a Nakuru hotel. The meeting was attended by residents living near the Nakuru National Park.

He said KWS had managed to get one million hectare of land for conservation. The
land, he said, was in Isiolo, Samburu and Marsabit which was voluntarily
given by the communities. He added that KWS was investing heavily in community conservation and protection of wildlife. Kipng'etich
noted that KWS was considering creating a position of head of community
enterprise to lead in conservation, adding that up to 300 community
members were being trained in conservation at Manyani.The members, he noted would also be trained to become game rangers to protect the animals and monitor the economy.

The
director said community members would also educate others on the
dangers of eating game meat and sensitize communities on renewable
energy to secure remaining forests. He
cited challenges ranging from water and food scarcity, climate change,
poor rainfall, poaching and unreliable energy as some of the challenges
facing KWS and other development sectors. Kipngetich
expressed confidence that hospitality industry was growing in the right
direction saying it was the sector offering highest number of
employment than agriculture and industry.