Over the past and continually as per now, the country has
lost close to millions of wildlife resources attributed to poor management by
the government caused by poaching, drought and deliberate butcher by man due to
the increased human-wildlife conflicts.
The diverse wild life however has been and still is among
the key economic and cultural heritage resources of Kenya. Through sustainable
wildlife conservation, the country can earn immense local and foreign income
through tourism, a factor that can improve the national economy. The sundry
wildlife is also part of our national pride that needs to be jealously
conserved for national culture and heritage.
The next government must put in place long term measures to
ensure effective management of wildlife resources. One way of doing so is by
allowing private individuals, companies, educational and research institutions
in the country to have a stake in wild life conservation on a large scale. Such
should be given licenses after proposals to the wild life management board to
collect wildlife species from national parks and reserves. The board can
monitor and provide more incentives to such initiatives. This will go a long
way in conserving endangered species apart from decentralizing wild life
management in the country. It will also promote local and foreign tourism by
bringing wild life attractions close to ordinary kenyans.Such initiatives will
also provide employment to local people and improve the economy. It will
promote training and research in the field of wild life and natural resources management
as well as enhancing learning and reducing threats to endangered species.
For example research and higher learning institutions in the
country can initiate breeding projects that can add variety and value to
existing species and the endangered ones.
The gesture by Egerton University in Njoro to introduce wild
life in its Botanical Garden is a role model in this argument. Already the
university’s students and researchers in a variety of academic fields use the
natural environment as a study centre while it also attracts both local and
international nature lovers. A breeding project of the Llamas a unique exotic
animal species at the sanctuary is an example of the diversification of animal
populations the country can embrace for both social and economic benefits of
Kenyans.