Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) recently acquired a fleet of 26 vehicles which will be used for rapid response to human-wildlife conflicts, as well as for parks management.
21 of these new vehicles will be used to facilitate officers addressing human-wildlife conflict, four will be used for security operations, while one will be utilised by researchers.
The vehicles form part of KWS force modernization programme which is in tandem with the organisation’s strategic 2017-2022 plan. The vehicles will also complement other measures in conservation, including the recently launched 43 kilometres wildlife fence in Rumuruti, Laikipai County, the ongoing Mount Kenya fencing, Meru Park, and the proposed Alia Kasigau fence in TaitaTaveta County.
It is anticipated that the new fleet will significantly aid in the reduction of human-wildlife conflicts, improve security and research around the country.
The fleet was procured by internal savings from revenue generated by the organisation. Earlier this year, KWS also acquired another 26 vehicles through assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary, Najib Balala officially handed over the vehicles to field stations across the country during a brief ceremony at the KWS headquarters in Nairobi. He said his ministry, in consultation with the national Treasury, will explore ways of enhancing financial allocation to KWS to purchase necessary equipment for conservation activities and to facilitate pending compensation claims.
Balala added that his ministry will work together with other stakeholders in the wildlife conservation and tourism industry through structured engagement in seeking solutions to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts which remain one of the biggest challenges facing wildlife conservation in Kenya.
He also challenged KWS to deploy all resources at their disposal to address human-wildlife conflicts as it was giving the organisation a bad name. Balala urged the management to strive to re-engineer the organisation’s parks and reserves in terms of products and services offered to stave off stiff competition from private conservancies for tourists.
Balala reiterated that conservation, protection and research of wildlife are important for promoting tourism, which is a critical sector in generating foreign exchange and employment that the country dearly needs.
