State silent on KWS appointments as poachers have field day in parks

Kenya: Nearly seven months since the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act came into force the Government is yet to appoint board of trustees and hire a director general to run the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

Confusion is now reigning at KWS after the mandate of the former board of trustees lapsed following the coming into effect of the new law on January 10.

Senior staff at KWS admit the state of affairs will persist unless chief of staff and head of civil service Joseph Kinyua starts the process of constituting a new board.

When this will take place is a question Environment Principal Secretary Richard Lesiyampe deferred when reached for comment, just as he would not respond on inquiries about when KWS acting Director General William Kiprono will be confirmed or replaced.

Amid the confusion poachers have been having a field day in the parks, killing 97 elephants and more than six rhinos, according to KWS data.

WildlifeDirect chief executive Paula Kahumbu says the number of animals killed by poachers could be higher.

Mr Lesiyampe declined to shed light on recent staff promotions and transfers apparently ratified by the defunct board of trustees chaired by former Finance minister David Mwiraria, long after its mandate had lapsed.

The tenure of the board ended when the new law came into force, but Mr Mwiraria is said to have continued going to the office in disregard of the new law.

Members of the board were vice chairperson Margaret Mwakima, KWS director William Kiprono, Ian Craig, Patricia Awori, Winnie Kiiru, Adil Khawaja, a representative of director Kenya Forest Service Monica Kalenda, a representative of director of veterinary services Thomas Manga, a representative of Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Gideon N Gathaara.

Transfers

Others include a representative of Principal Secretary for Devolution and Planning Stephen Karani, a representative of Inspector General of Police Henry Barmao, a representative Inspector-General (Corporations) Edward Ngigi, a representative of Principal Secretary Ministry of Local Government Hassan Hassan and a representative of Interior Principal Secretary Eddyson Nyale.

In the absence of a board and a substantive chief executive, KWS has been hobbling from one crisis to another as poaching and trafficking in ivory hits catastrophic levels.

Mr Kiprono is the acting director-general, a position that has attracted massive interest from conservationists. In the wake of recent transfers and promotions, questions have emerged about the legality of the changes.

Significantly, questions have been raised about the transfer of Patrick Omondi, a senior assistant director and head of species was transferred to be in charge of park security despite his strong background in academia.

Mr Lesiyampe deferred questions on this and why the Government has not appointed the board and a substantive director general, saying he was not in a position to discuss the issues.

“I cannot discuss the matter at the moment. Wait until I return to Nairobi,” he responded from Kisumu.

The uncertainty in management ranks comes at a time when poaching of elephants and rhinos has reached alarming levels.

It is a grim reality Kiprono understands too well as in a memo to staff seen by The Standard on Saturday he points out: “We are alive to the fact that wildlife, particularly rhinos and elephants, are increasingly becoming vulnerable because of high demand for their horns and ivory respectively.”

He says poachers have resorted to “silent poaching methods that are difficult for rangers on patrol to detect.”

The lack of effective command at the helm has resulted in the killing of 18 rhinos and 51 elephants in Lake Nakuru Park.

“Last year, we lost 59 and 302 rhinos and elephants respectively compared to 30 rhinos and 384 elephants in 2012,” Kiprono explains.

Two months ago, Lesiyampe sent four managers on compulsory leave and instituted investigations into the running of KWS and complicity in wildlife products poaching.

The managers are yet to resume even after the expiry of the period.

Asked why the managers had not resumed duty, KWS communications manager Paul Udoto declined to comment saying he is on leave. KWS Spokesman Paul Gathitu would neither respond to phone calls nor email.