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“SAVE THE LAST GREAT SPECIES AND PLACES ON EARTH FOR HUMANITY”
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KWS Director decries poaching while commemorating George Adamson at Kora Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director, Mr William Kiprono, says poaching is both a moral and economic issue that the country needs to urgently address for the survival of wildlife. Mr Kiprono is now calling for a against poaching, noting that guns alone cannot eradicate the vice. Speaking at Kora National Park during the 24th George Adamson memorial held on August 31, 2013, the director asked residents of counties neighbouring the park to work towards creating the necessary good environment that He urged the County governments of Kitui, Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka- Nithi, Garissa and Tana River to work closely with KWS and other investors to develop other tourist attractions and
facilities so as to make a visit to Kora holistic. Mr. Kiprono cited cultural tourism and development of local artefacts and home visits as some of the areas that need to be considered in addition to setting aside areas for
The Born Free Foundation wildlife charity has shown keen interest in keeping the spirit of George Adamson alive and continues to join hands with KWS in organizing the annual event to celebrate his life. Another partnership between KWS ecotourism. and Adamson Wildlife Preservation He regretted that George Adamson Trust has been helping in developing had dedicated his entire life to saving park infrastructure. the wildlife, in particular the lion, but paid the ultimate price by falling to a bandit’s bullet. Kora was gazetted as a National park shortly after Adamson’s death in 1989. Indeed, this was one of his greatest wishes, though granted posthumously.The director, however, said his death was not in vain for the work that he started lives on noting his focus and dedication has continued to inspire many other people across the STORY BY Paul Jinaro world.
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MT. KENYA NATIONAL PARK COTTAGES SET FOR MAJOR FACELIFT Mount Kenya National Park is gearing A lease agreement between KWS and to become Kenya’s premium adven- Naro Moru River Lodge was signed on ture destination thanks to an elaborate August 20, 2013 for Meteorological program to improve existing visitor Station and Mackinder Camps and is facilities that has been rolled out by valid for twenty years from July 1, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Business 2013. Naro Moru River Lodge is part of Development Section in collaboration Alliance Hotels owned by veteran with the management of the park. politician and astute businessman KWS Business Development manager, Kenneth Matiba.KWS marketing Salome Gachago says the initiative department envisions a rise in visitor seeks to increase the park’s capacity in numbers in the park and improvement line with the country’s economic blue addition revenue collection. print Vision 2030. EDITION 51 E-WILD MAGAZINE
Six other leases for construction of lodges and Mountain cottages in the park are lined up for signing in coming months. Ms Gachago negotiated on behalf of KWS while Ms Susan Matiba and Julius Nyajui signed on behalf of Alliance Hotels.
SEPTEMBER 2013
STORY BY Paul Jinaro
KWS LAUNCHES A HIV AND AIDS WORKPLACE POLICY Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) through recently launched a HIV and AIDS workplace policy in response to the pandemic which has the potential to executing its core mandate of sustainable management of our nation’s wildlife and its habitat for posterity.The policy developed in line with the Public Sector Policy on HIV and AIDS 2010, is meant to overcome challenges posed by the disease at the workplace. These include the spread of new infections, absence from work due to sickness, high medical bills and the need to deliver adequate, integrated and quality service to the address Human Capital issues in the workplace that arise from HIV and
AIDS such as prevention, stigma, discrimination and gender disparities. Speaking during the launch at KWS headquarters, KWS Director, Mr. William Kiprono said the organization has already mounted sensitization programmes in all its eight conservation areas as well as its two training institutions; Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute (KWSTI) in Naivasha and the Law Enforcement Academy in Manyani .The training cuts across all carder from newly recruits to the top management by incorporating HIV & AIDS into its training curriculum.“We will
fwith day-to-day HIV and AIDS related issues and problems that arise at the workplace.It also outlines employees’ rights, responsibilities and expected behavior at the workplace. charged with mainstreaming this policy and aligning it to the KWS vision and core values. At the same occasion, Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) donated a vehicle to the KWS Aids Control Unit to be used in the Employee Wellness operations.The U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-Kenya), PATH and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) among other stakeholders were instrumental through provision of
and promote respect for the rights of all stigmatized employees and keep the issue of HIV and AIDS high on our policy formulation of the Policy. agenda,” Mr. Kiprono said.The policy provides guidelines to all employees who deal STORY BY Pauline Njeri & Dennis Kibet
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