Citizen TV anchor, Trevor Ombija, has landed a government role in the latest appointments made by Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.
According to a statement released by Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) on Saturday, July 30, Ombija will serve as an Honorary Wildlife Warden for three years.
"Honorary Wildlife Wardens are volunteer conservationists drawn from various fields to assist in the conservation of wildlife using their various areas of expertise," the KWS statement read in part.
Others appointed as Honorary Wardens include former NTV presenter Jane Ngoiri, Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohammed Badi, Jomo Mareka Gecaga, Peter Waititu Ndegwa and Mbugua Ngugi.
Others include Chetan Babu Gohil, Ibrahim Haji, Peter Nkonge Kirigua, Saddam Shabiby, General Peter Njiru and Jonah Mwangi.
According to KWS, the duties of an honorary warden are subject to each individual’s skills but also include wildlife security, problematic animal management, conservation education, community engagement and awareness creation on wildlife conservation, and fundraising for wildlife conservation among other duties.
Speaking on Thursday, July 28, Balala stated that the Kenya Government, through KWS, had opted to be more dynamic in the way it manages conservation areas, saying that such appointments were one of the tried-and-true methods to achieve greater conservation milestones.
The CS explained that the Government inherited its valuable parks over 50 years ago and commended KWS for the strides the service has taken to streamline wildlife and biodiversity conservation since its formation 30 years ago.
"Our focus has been on anti-poaching programs, and I am proud of their success," Balala stated.
"The biggest elephant in the room is climate change. This year we lost 179 elephants and 200 Somali giraffes to drought," the CS disclosed.
At the event, CS Balala reminded the appointees of their roles and urged them to support the government and KWS in protecting the environment.
