327 community rangers report for paramilitary training

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Community rangers have reported at the Manyani Field Training School in Tsavo West National Park. The 327 rangers from various parts of the country reported at the school on January 14, 2012
The largest group is Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) with 246 individuals from all over the rangelands, while the others came from the Central, Laikipia conservancies, Ishaqbin and the Maasai Mara. Three of the trainees are female. 
The large group of trainees has almost 95 per cent semi-literate and total illiteracy. About 20 trainees cannot express themselves in English or Kiswahili Instead, Samburu, Maasai and other Cushite languages are used. To ease communication problems, trainee translators have been incorporated in the course.
However, the programme stands to tap into the abundant indigenous knowledge from a wealth of field experience for conservation purposes.
 
During the course opening, the trainees cited the following challenges and hope to learn mitigation measures:
 

• Weak wildlife laws
• Heavily armed poachers and combat.
• Crowded wildlife corridors leading to conflict.
• Modern technology to aid patrol (Global Positioning System (GPS)  and Management of Information System (MIST) training)
• Human population explosion leading to incompatible land use.