Colorado State University has raised the bar for convening its Pathway conferences outside Colorado. This was the fifth conference organized by the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the first outside Colorado. About a third of the participants were students and wildlife guardians, rangers and young people from all over Kenya. The exchange of ideas and information sharing was top notch. Including so many local enthusiastic young people interested in conservation was brilliant of the organizers.
University of Denver faculty and the One Health team were represented with the presence of Dean James Herbert Williams and professors Philip Tedeschi and Richard Reading. Representing the Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) were Josphat Ngonyo, executive director, and Ambassador Nehemiah Rotich, president of the board. Staff and adviser to ANAW, Kahindi Lekalhaile, was there along with myself representing the Africa Network for Animal Welfare-USA (ANAW-USA).
Kahindi Lekalhaile, who grew-up near Nanyuki, presented the keynote address kicking off the conference along with the Munir Virani, the director of The Peregrine Fund. Not present but appreciated by me personally was Meme Kinoti, Chair of the Management of Nonprofit Management department at Regis University in Denver. Kinoti, a Kenyan, collaborated on developing the ANAW presentations.
Pictures here are the Mt Kenya Fairmont Safari Lodge (complete with a disturbing array of elephant and wildlife trophies) Tom Serfass facilitating a session, Philip Tedeschi, DU and ANAW-USA Board Chairman, Josphat Ngonyo Executive Director of ANAW and David Gies also for ANAW-USA.
Several scientific papers were presented covering topics of wildlife and fishery management, humane wildlife conflict, case studies for resolving conflicts and creating conservation, integrating social science into One Health to inform policy, aspects of hunting, zoonotic disease transmission and the conservation revolution taking place in East Africa and other parts of the world through community based efforts.
The ANAW team presented on the importance of civil society and voluntary association in mediating attitudes for addressing wildlife crimes. Our talk emphasized observed changes taking place showing the will of Kenya to stop poaching. For example, the courts are dishing out harsh penalties now for elephant and rhino poaching. An example is a recent sentencing to life in prison to a major supplier for transporting ivory through Kenyan boarders. Kenya has the unfortunate distinction for being largest exit point for ivory leaving Africa to China.
These changes taking place are not the result of just ANAW hammering away on the problems. For the judiciary work, especially in real time monitory of the courts Wildlife Direct and Paula Kahumbu along with the support of the Africa Wildlife foundation and countless other organizations and funders are recognized.
Ambassador Nehemiah Rotich (MBS), the Chairman of ANAW’s Board of Directors, has vast experience in environmental and biodiversity conservation and management, post-conflict environmental reconstruction and access benefit sharing. His most recent national position was as the Chairman of the National Taskforce on Wildlife Crime. His rich career includes former director of the Kenya Wildlife Service; Senior Programme Officer- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Head of Biodiversity, as Ambassador/ Permanent Representative, Kenya Mission to UNEP and Chief Executive of the East African Wildlife Society. He has also been the Chairman- Board of Directors, Eastern Africa Environmental Network. Among his notable awards is as the recipient of the 1999 Presidential Award of the Order of Moran of the burning spear (MBS) for distinguished service in conservation
Josphat Ngonyo is ANAW’s Founder and Executive Director. He holds over 15 years experience in wildlife conservation, serving in various capacities in wildlife circles. Some of his national appointments include member of a Ministerial Task Force charged with formulation of an Animal Welfare Policy and the review of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (cap 360) and also, member of the National Steering Committee involved in the review of the wildlife conservation and management policy and legislation. He is a past Executive Director for Youth for Conservation; Honorary Warden of the Kenya Wildlife Service, member of the Global Task Force for Farm Animal Welfare and Trade, member of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s Gateway to Farm Animal Welfare editorial board. Mr. Ngonyo is hands-on in animal welfare and conservation matters, working closely with communities living with animals.
Kahindi Lekalhaile is ANAW’s wildlife advisor. His job experience in nature conservation spans 25 years working as a naturalist, environmental education expert, trainer in wildlife social work, field research scientist, ecotourism expert, university lecturer, community-based conservation advisor and senior program manager. Some of his past experience includes assisting to set up the Samburu Elephant Research Centre under Save The Elephants charity in Africa under the supervision of the world-famous expert, Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton; executing the United Nation’s Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) program in Kenya covering the northern Kenya elephant population, which is the largest elephant free-ranging elephant population living outside any protected area in East Africa and pioneering the ‘PIKE’ technique (Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants) as an early warning system for elephant ivory poaching in the world. A renowned crusader against illegal global trade of wildlife and wildlife products, Mr. Lekalhaile is an Earthwatch Fellow in Madagascar and the recipient of the 2006 Disney Conservation Hero award from Disney World.
not already been made. Because of his legacy he speaks like no other U.S. President could. It is remarkable that as a guest he was so calm and authentic in addressing corruption, politicians who are reluctant to leave office, and the cost of cronyism to middle-class Kenyans. Kenya loses 250,000 jobs to corruption annually. He spoke about the importance for encouraging entrepreneurialism, education, especially for girls and the importance for creating a strong civil society. Frankly, as I read the Daily Nation newspaper when living and working in Kenya, I think President Uhuru Kenyatta is working diligently to clean-up his cabinet putting six of the highest ranking people on administrate leave until investigations for graft are completed. This is a first for a Kenyan President. Times are changing.
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