- Some of them were killed by wildlife, droned or died through road accidents
- Kenya Wildlife Service reveals that 73 of its employees have died in line of duty
Image: GILBERT KOECH
The government has admitted that it has not done enough for fallen conservation champions.
This became apparent yesterday during this year’s wildlife heroes day celebrations.
This is despite the fact that money generated through wildlife annually is over 10 per cent of Kenya's gross domestic product.
Yesterday, the Kenya Wildlife Service revealed that 73 of its employees have died in line of duty trying to conserve, protect and sustainably manage wildlife resources.
Wildlife PS Fred Segor, KWS senior assistant inspector general Henry Barmao, deputy commissioner of prisons Dancan Ogore, chief conservator of forests Julius Kamau and director of nature and biodiversity at the Conservation Union International Foundation Olaf Tschimpeke attended the event.
Tourism CAS Joseph Boinnet said the families of the fallen heroes will be supported by the government.
Some of the fallen heroes were killed by wildlife, others droned, died in road accidents or aircraft accidents.
KWS director general John Waweru said conservation is a double edged sword.
"Wildlife would have been decimated were it not for rangers. The dark side of conservation is death or injury in hands of ruthless poachers, wildlife, mother nature and dangerous terrain," he said.
Waweru said it was not enough to engrave the names of fallen heroes in the monument hosted at the KWS headquarters.
"The gap left behind cannot be filled," he said.
During the celebrations that also saw staff members honoured, family members of the fallen heroes were present.
Waweru said both the uniformed and non-uniformed employees awarded was a result of determination, selfless dedication and integrity.
He said the injured and fallen heroes had laid a firm foundation upon which the service has learned valuable lessons.
He said the lessons learnt will help to keep rangers safer while simultaneously raising the bar of protection for wildlife.
KWS chair John Waithaka said his board was working to restructure how family members of fallen heroes will be supported.
"We must also reduce risk by equipping (rangers) with superior weapons, tools and appropriate technology," he said, adding that poachers sometimes had superior weapons than rangers.
Waithaka challenged the ministry to help the service come up with a framework to "make them (families) feel we care and for them to know that we stand in solidarity with them."
Boinnet said poaching came down by 90 per cent in six years as a result of dedication from the service.
"We now have 34,000 elephants and over 1,000 rhinos constituting the fourth and the third highest population in the world. This is the outcome of what we do," Boinnet said.
The CAS said Kenya registered major strides during the recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) conference as a result of the KWS delegation.
CITES is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
The conference which was held from August 16-28 responded to the extinction crisis by strengthening international trade regime for wildlife.
The Kenyan delegation to the CITES was led by Boinnet.
Around 25,000 plant species and 5,000 animal species are covered by the provisions of the convention.