Kenyans and the international conservation
community are outraged at the death, in the hands of poachers, of Africa’s most
iconic and beloved elephant. Satao carcass was found with two ghastly holes on
his face from where his magnificent tusks once projected with awesome majesty.
Satao roamed Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park for nearly 50 years.
The surge in illegal ivory trade is due to high
demand for ivory products in China and the United States of America. Militias
and terrorists profit hugely from the unprecedented surge in the value of ivory
and using the proceeds to fund mayhem. It is estimated that poachers have
killed over 35,000 African elephants in the last couple of years.
Last week I argued that President Kenyatta’s
personal involvement was crucial to ending poaching. A good friend asked why I thought
tens of millions of ordinary Kenyans who struggle to feed, clothe and provide
shelter for their families should give a hoot about wildlife. My friend argues
that elephants and rhinos are merely objects of fascination for mostly western
tourists and a small minority of affluent Kenyans.
This comment got me thinking about the
thousands of Kenyan farmers and pastoralists who live close to our game reserves
and national parks. They know a have a different story about wildlife. For them
these animals especially elephants, hippos and lions conjure images of death
and destruction. In 2013, hundreds of elephants destroyed crops in Mwatate
constituency. Similarly, in 2012 herdsmen angry with the predators killing
their livestock speared six lions to death in Kitengela. One of the herdsmen
who lost his goats said they were forced to kill the lions even though he
understood that they were a treasured heritage.
The apathy and grievance felt by millions of
Kenyans about wildlife is not trivial. Kenya Wildlife Service must urgently the
issue of human wildlife conflict. Moreover, for millions of Kenyans who bear
the cost of conservation, often at a huge personal loss, adequate reparation
must flow and revenues from tourism must trickle down in direct and tangible
ways. If we are to win the war on poaching, we must get local communities on
the side of conservation. It is time to consider a payment scheme to persuade
local communities to pursue livelihood options that are compatible with
conservation objectives.
Here is why millions of Kenyans who carry
the inordinate burden of conservation as well as the tens of millions who have no
contact or experience with our most valued heritage must care for wildlife and
be concerned about poaching.
Data from World Travel and Tourism Council
shows that travel and tourism’s total contribution to Kenya’s GDP was 13.7
percent, supported 778, 500 jobs (11.9 percent of total employment), accounted
for 7.5 percent of total capital investment while visitor exports contributed
to 18.6 percent of our total exports in 2011. Tourism is vital to the national
economy and contributes directly and indirectly to the livelihoods of millions
of Kenyans. Kenya’s tourism thrives on wildlife, and is beholden to the
majestic appeal of large mammals like the elephant and the rhino. Extinction,
in the hands of poachers, of these iconic mammals could orchestrate a
catastrophic contraction of our economy.
It is believed that Al Shabaab rakes in
circa US$600,000 a month from poaching to fund its activities. Ivory has been
found in Al Shabaab in strongholds inside Somalia. In the 2014/2015-budget
proposal, the government will spend Ksh.155 billion – about 10 percent of the
total budget on security. The budget will be used to hunt down C in Somalia
(Ksh. 71.3 billion), enhance policing (Ksh.66.2 billion) and intelligence
capacity (Ksh.17.4 billion) here at home to prevent terrorist attacks against
innocent citizens and our economic infrastructure. It is very likely that
massive spending on security could be crowding out allocations to vital growth
sectors such agriculture, which received a paltry 4 percent of the total
budget.
Owing to a huge slump in international
tourism due to rising insecurity, the exchequer will allow employers tax deductions
of amounting to Ksh. 2.4 billions to boost domestic tourism for the next 12
months. Moreover, Kenya Association of
Hotel Keepers and Caterers revealed that over 7500 hotel workers in the coast
have lost their jobs largely due to travel advisories.
We all must say no to poaching and
illegal wildlife trade. It ruins our economy and distorts priorities for
budgetary allocations.
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