Puzzle of rangers paid for no work

The rangers want County government to give direction on their job description. They say they have been neglected despite earning a monthly salary. Pictures of some of the rangers and abandoned vehicles in Lobokat area in Turkana County. [Photo: Standard]

Sixty-nine rangers in Turkana have been earning millions in salaries for more than a year without working.

The nine women, 56 men and four managers had three months of training last year at the Kenya Wildlife Service’s (KWS) Manyani camp on how to curb poaching, assist in patrols and raise awareness on conservation.

The Standard has learnt that since July last year, each of the rangers has been earning Sh35,000 gross salary despite not being deployed.

The rangers receive their pay from KWS through Tullow Oil Company, which signed an agreement with the Turkana County government and the wildlife body to promote conservation efforts.

The rangers were initially under the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), a community-led non-governmental organisation, before they were handed over to the county government, which in turn transferred them to KWS due to the nature of their work.

“We reported to Lobokat camp in Turkana South in April but were ordered to go home until the county government offers us appointment letters. All we get monthly is a salary,” said the ranger-in-charge, Christopher Ereng.

He added: “We were initially under NRT but the county stepped in last year and we were seconded to KWS. But at the moment we do not have any documents to prove that we are officers.”

Tourism executive Jennifer Nawoi acknowledged that the rangers were part of the devolved unit but claimed extraneous factors had prevented their full-time employment.

Tullow Oil

Ms Nawoi alleged that indiscipline was among the issues that had delayed efforts to deploy the rangers. On the salaries, the executive said the rangers were tied to the contract signed between the Government, Tullow Oil and KWS.

“It has become risky to put them in the camp. But they have been earning a salary since July last year. The agreement with Tullow is concluding in April 2019 and it was agreed that they stay at home while KWS embarks on setting up administrative structures,” she said on the phone, adding that the rangers had recently beaten up a ward administrator.

When we tried to contact KWS, a source who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “That is a complicated matter and no one is willing to talk about it on the phone.”

The rangers are still in custody of computers and radio call equipment meant to assist in communication and monitoring of wildlife in the region.

Six Land Cruisers handed to the county government by NRT are still parked at the NGO’s former headquarters in Lokichar town, and the rangers have custody of the log books. NRT has since shifted its operations to West Pokot.

The rangers dismissed claims that they had attacked the administrator, saying they only stopped him from taking away the vehicles.

“We did not beat him. He arrived at our camp alone saying he wanted to hand over the vehicles to another conservancy in Pokot but we refused,” said Mr Ereng.

The rangers said they were concerned that the county government had not deployed them. “If we are part of the county, why are there no appointment letters, medical cover or contracts, like other employees? We have been left in the cold and our attempts to get more details have been futile,” said Thomas Akuja.