Message
from the KWS Chairman
Kenya
Wildlife Service’s contribution to the national economy
is as diverse as the areas in which we operate.
To
discharge our core mandate of conserving and managing wildlife,
we are implementing a number of reforms supported by the Ministry
of Tourism and Wildlife.
A
year ago, we launched the Strategic Plan 2005-2010 which seeks
to focus on our core mandate and overcome ad hoc approach
to management, decision-making and resource utilisation.
This
plan is pegged on the devolution of resources and authority
to field stations with greater emphasis on research and training,
public private sector partnerships, the entrenchment of a
business culture in KWS as well as the improvement of the
facilities in parks and reserves to world-class status.
Another
milestone is the development of management plans for each
of the specific parks. So far, we have completed plans for
Tsavo and Meru National Park. The Board of Trustees has approved
the development of management plans for other parks.
KWS
is also working on attaining ISO certification by early next
year. The certification will enable us benchmark our services
to international standards.
At
the same time, we started a branding programme which gives
individual parks unique identity with the aim of developing
them into world-class conservation and recreational areas.
The
programme that recognises and celebrates each park’s
unique character, is a continuous process in improving park
standards, wildlife management and visitor experience.
The
branding is our commitment to revamp parks to meet challenges
of global competition in wildlife management and tourist attraction.
The
effort has started paying dividends in terms of increased
visitation and revenue in most of our branded parks, a trend
that is likely to continue.
As
a cross-border facility between Kenya and Uganda, Mt Elgon
National Park is an excellent showcase of the East Africa
Community’s shared resources.
Mt.
Elgon is a regionally shared natural resource that is important
to Kenya and Uganda as it serves as a water catchment area
for Lake Victoria, Lake Turkana and Lake Kyoga.
It
is for this reason that the Mt. Elgon Regional Ecosystem Conservation
Program (MECERP) was initiated. This programme, which is funded
to the tune of 4.87 million dollars by the Norwegian government
through the IUCN – The World Conservation Union and
implemented by Uganda and Kenya, is a crucial conservation
initiative that seeks to support the conservation and protection
of Mt. Elgon as a trans-boundary ecosystem.
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