Sh20 million for research on bats underway in Mombasa

The government has set aside Sh20 million to research on bats to counter health related implications on people due to their vast migratory capabilities.

Speaking in Mombasa, National Museums of Kenya (NMK), Director General, Dr Mzalendo Kibunja said as part of the big four agenda, health is an important component if the nation is to move forward by mitigating diseases that might arise from any causes.

He said bats from Kenya fly as far as Zanzibar and return where the government has seen the need to research on them to avoid bringing in myriad of diseases from around the world.

Despite the disease threat, Kibunja observed that same bats play a crucial role in combating diseases by helping in natural control of population of insects and pests by consuming them.

He added that NMK and partners Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) plan to develop science based guidelines intended for mitigating human-bat conflict from pure conservation to public health aspects.

“This project is important because it leads to science-led natural heritage management, sustainable tourism management and enhanced public health security for our people which are drivers of economy and social pillars of vision 2030.” Said Kibunja.

Dr Patrick Omondi, Director of bio researchers and planning at KWS said their mandate is to conserve and manage wildlife where the research will establish the status of bats in the country starting with the huge population of bats at the historic Uhuru Gardens, Mombasa County.

“We are looking forward to the results of the research. We don’t want people to kill bats just like we don’t want people to kill elephants because of the very important reasons why bats exit as identified earlier” said Omondi.

Bernard Agwanda a scientist with NMK said there were fears in the recent past on a bat that was found in Taita suspected to have carried the Ebola virus hence the need to in-depth research on bats in the country.

He clarified that the detected Ebola virus was not the same that killed people in West Africa and other parts of Africa but a relative of the Ebola virus that kills people.

Agwanda ratified that all living organisms have viruses and not all virus cause diseases and therefore to find Bombali virus in a bat is not strange

He said the bats research is part of routine surveillance of the environment and see if there is anything that is putting Kenyans at risk to be addressed in good time.

Bombali ebola viruswas first discovered in West Africa and all tests conducted to test whether it can kill people turned negative meaning it doesn’t cause any public health risk

Kenya is home to a rich biodiversity which includes 120 species of bats.

They are one of the most misunderstood mammals yet they provide important ecosystem service including dispersing seeds and pollinating flowers of many beneficial plants.

Due to rise in natural habitats loss, many bats are increasingly invading human spaces such as Mombasa Uhuru garden among many other parts of the country.

Parliament enacted the science, technology & innovation act 2013 which is implemented by the ministry of education through the National Research Fund (NRF) which awarded the 20 million shillings grant to facilitate the research.