Wildlife census to help govt formulate wildlife conservation policy, CS Miano says

According to Wildlife and Tourism  Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, this was the second census in the country seeking to identify wildlife distribution, trends and threats to various ecosystems.

She said that the exercise which would end in June 2025 would come in handy in addressing emerging challenges facing wildlife conservation in the country.

The CS was speaking during the graduation ceremony of over 280 students at Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) in Naivasha.

She lauded efforts by the Institute in wildlife conservation adding that the Ministry would continue to support it in various research exercises.

To address the high cost of education, the CS said that the Ministry had come up with a Tourism revolving fund to support students undertaking Tourism and Wildlife courses.

“Many parents are facing challenges in paying school fees and this revolving fund will support those deserving cases of students,” she said.

The WRTI Director Patrick Omondi said that the national census which is in its second phase would address challenges brought about by climate change.

Omondi added that the national wildlife research agenda was critical in formulating wildlife data noting that this would ease conservation efforts in the country.

On her part, the PS for Tourism Sylivia Museiya called on the graduates to think outside the box due to the high levels of unemployment in the country.

WRTI board chairman Dr David Nkedianye said that plans were underway to open satellite campuses for the institute as part of engaging the community.