Ministry investigating collusion between poachers and KWS rangers, CS Judy Wakhungu says

Agriculture Principal Secretary Sicily Kariuki at a press briefing on the progress made by some ministries in the last one year outside Harambee House, Nairobi Monday. She is flanked by Environment, Water and Natural Resources Cabinet Secretary Judy Wakhungu (left) and Cabinet Secretary for Industrialisation and Enterprise Development Adan Mohammed. [PHOTO: MBUGUA KIBERA/STANDARD]

By MOSES NJAGIH

NAIROBI, KENYA: Environment, Water and Natural Resources Cabinet Secretary Judy Wakhungu has said her ministry is investigating reports of a possible collusion between Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers and poachers.

Ms Wakhungu further said the Government will not declare poaching, mainly of elephants and rhinos as national disaster as some conservationists have demanded saying KWS is equal to the task of containing the vice.

Speaking during the Cabinet briefing, the Cabinet Secretary said although most of the wildlife handlers in the game parks were doing their best to contain the spiraling cases of poaching, some warders and rangers could be abetting the crime.

She revealed that since 2009, 17 officers had been sacked for colluding with poachers, warning that they are also following some intelligence information on possible involvement of more rangers in the crime.

“Since I came to office, we have interdicted 32 other officers, while others are suspended as we undertake investigations on collusion with poachers. We have solid information, which we are closely following in the fight against possible involvement of KWS rangers in this worrying vice,” she said.

Wakhungu said beefing up of surveillance and security in the parks is the key priority that the Government was undertaking, with major programmes already underway, especially in parks where the vice is prevalent.

She termed the vice as an international menace saying the increased demand for the animal tusks especially in China was encouraging poachers.

Substantiating her claims that the vice was an international menace, Wakhungu revealed that South Africa was equally hard-hit, where 176 elephants and 52 rhinos have been killed this year, compared to Kenya’s 51 and 18 respectively.

“These people (poachers) are greedy, plus there is a high demand in markets, mostly in the Far East. To deal with this insatiable demand, we have to raise awareness in these markets and make them know that they are devastating our biodiversity,” she said.

Wakhungu further revealed that the Government will arm rangers with more sophisticated weapons to match those being used by poachers adding that security officers from other formations, notably the General Service Unit (GSU) had also been dispatched to parks to help tame the menace.