NIS to help agency’s war on poaching (Kenya)

Author(s)

Daily Nation

Date Published

The intelligence unit of the Kenya Wildlife Service is to be overhauled to in measures the government is considering to tackle poaching.

According to Environment Principal Secretary Richard Lesiyampe, senior officers from the National Intelligence Service will provide guidance on the matter.

The PS said the government would rest as poachers roamed national and private ranches.

Wildlife killers had sophisticated weapons and gadgets, the PS said in Nairobi Sunday.

“We are investing in modern equipment like night vision goggles and more firearms to win this war,” he said.

The wildlife agency will on Monday begin recruiting rangers to address shortage of staff and allowances for rangers would be harmonised to improve their welfare and motivate them.

A team from the Rapid Response Unit would join 120 security officers to hunt down poachers, he added.

This year, the PS said, 57 out of 40,000 elephants and 18 of 1,041 Kenya’s rhinos have been killed.

Conservationists, notably former KWS Director Richard Leakey, have disputed the figures saying more animals have been killed.

Recently, six senior KWS employees were asked to proceed on leave to pave way for investigations on whether they could be frustrating efforts to tackle poaching.

Article at the following link:
http://www.nation.co.ke/news/NIS-help-war-on-poaching/-/1056/2278350/-/ah0dyx/-/index.html