First Lady Margaret Kenyatta applauded the media’s contribution to combating poaching.
The First Lady recognized efforts by various members of the Fourth Estate in eradicating the illegal trade by profiling stories and supporting advocacy campaigns with local communities.
Speaking during the fourth conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) in London, United Kingdom, the First Lady noted that Kenya had recorded a decline in poaching due to its enhanced wildlife law enforcement efforts and the government’s proactive anti-poaching measures.
“We have revamped and improved training and equipped Kenya Wildlife Service ranger forces that continuously evict poacher elements from the Parks,” the First Lady remarked.
The First Lady, who is also the patron of the “Hands Off Our Elephants” initiative stated that the Government had strengthened collaboration with institutional networks and law enforcement agents in fighting wildlife crime including the judiciary, local, regional and international stakeholders.
She pointed out that through consistent efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade, Kenya has been able to significantly reduce the level of poaching of the country’s iconic wildlife species in the last three years.
Prince William Arthur, the Duke of Cambridge, commended the ongoing conservation work in Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia which he visited recently.
“I recently visited Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia and I saw the tremendous work in wildlife conservation, the illegal trade as an economic crime against humanity and the future," Prince William stated.
“It is time to treat the illegal wildlife trade as the serious organised crime that it is,” he added.
Kenya is a key transit hub to international destinations and various illegal wildlife specimens – mainly ivory, rhino horn, pangolin scales and East African sandalwood – smuggled from within and other countries are transited through country’s ports.
