Conflicts between the human and wildlife population currently rank among the main threats to conservation in Africa. This is because wildlife survival needs often overlap with those of human populations. With a significant proportion of wildlife occurring outside Protected Areas in Kenya, one of the most critical conservation challenges is how to enhance and sustain coexistence between human beings and wildlife. The solution to human-wildlife conflict lies in developing effective strategies for securing wildlife dispersal areas and migratory routes/corridors.
Laikipia Conservancies Association is working with its members and various stakeholders to
develop strategies and solutions for promoting Human-Wildlife Coexistence in the Laikipia landscape and the country at large. On 9th February 2023, we had the honor of hosting the Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Peninah Malonza, and Principal Secretary Hon. Silvia Museiya in Borana Conservancy to discuss various collaborative solutions and approaches around Human-Wildlife Coexistence between our member conservancies and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife & Heritage. Also in attendance were Laikipia County Governor Honourable Joshua Irungu, Kenya Wildlife Service Director General, Dr. Erastus Kanga, the CEO of Kenya Wildlife and Training Institute's CEO, DR Patrick Omondi among other representatives from the respective bodies.
Laikipia Conservancies Association's CEO, Peter Matunge, took attendies through a presentation on Wildlife Management and Land Use where he highlighted policies around Wildlife Conservation and Protection, the six elements of Human-Wildlife Conflict Management, and provisions around preserving wildlife habitats and biodiversity as stated in The National Wildlife Strategy 2030. After this, we then had an interactive session where stakeholders voiced their valid concerns on the increase in Human-Wildlife Conflict cases that have claimed both the human and wildlife population as victims and the need to streamline compensation plans, and the importance of benefit-sharing with surrounding communities. Conservancy managers reiterated the importance and the impacts of conserving wildlife in Kenya and the recognition of conservancies' roles in the socio-economic space, mitigating climate change and in improving the country's GDP through tourism and other activities. Hon. Silvia Museiya emphasized the plans to create a conservation model that also uplifts the livelihoods of the communities. It was agreed that there is an urgent need to ensure that we have a sustainable strategy around sustainable Human-Wildlife coexistence.
On 20th and 21st March 2023, Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association and The Nature Conservancy invited conservation networks to a Stakeholders' Validation Workshop where stakeholders came together to review and provide input on Kenya Human-Wildlife, Conflict Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2032, developed by The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife & Heritage. We request our members who may have not seen the document to download and send us feedback on the same.
Kenya Human-Wildlife Conflict Strategy draft 0 circulated to stakeholders[16570]
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