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Kenya partners with conservation firms to curb poaching

Xinhua, February 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Kenyan government has partnered with wildlife conservation organisations to help curb poaching, the country's Environment Principal Secretary Richard Lesiyampe said late Tuesday.

Lesiyampe said the government has partnered with the Kenya Conservation Alliance (KCA), an umbrella body of wildlife conservationists, in addressing conservation and poaching issues.

"We have decided to engage the NGOs in addressing wildlife issues and we are fully behind the newly formed Kenya Conservation Alliance," he said in Naivasha, about 90 km northwest of Nairobi at the end of a two-day workshop on ways of addressing conservation and poaching.

Lesiyampe said the biggest threat facing the country was poaching mainly targeting endangered species. He noted that the government would fully support the alliance so as to address the challenges facing conservation and poaching.

The PS noted the poachers were now using sophisticated weapons in their illegal trade, adding the KCA and communities would help curb this.

He also said a taskforce formed to address security issues facing Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) had released its report, which had already been shared with Parliament.

Some of the key highlights, according to him, were needed to improve funding and capacity to KWS so that it could address poaching issues.

"We have already shared the taskforce report with parliament and there is need to address the amount of resources allocated to KWS," he said.

Lesiyampe noted that another area that needed attention was empowering communities living near game parks and wildlife sanctuaries. "The report recommends that the communities should benefit from revenue collected from wildlife so that they can help protect the animals."

KCA chairman Steve Itera noted that for years NGOs had spoken in different voices over conservation issues, noting that this would change.

The officer said that the newly formed alliance was ready to work with the government in fighting poaching and conserving national parks. "This is not part of taming NGOs, but bringing our heads together for a common goal which is protecting our wildlife, " he said. Endi