By TOM ODULA21 hours ago
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's central government will oversee the running of the country's wildlife authority for the next three months in a bid to stop poaching of the country's elephants and rhinos, an official with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources said Friday.
Richard Lesiyampe said six senior Kenya Wildlife Service officials have been placed on leave to pave the way for investigations into the wildlife service's operations.
Among those sent on leave is the senior deputy director in charge of conservation, Patrick Omondi, who is also known as "Elephant Man" in Kenya for his top level expertise. Omondi is a leading international campaigner against the trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn.
The Kenya Wildlife Service's intelligence unit will be restructured and 50 four-wheel drive vehicles added to the fleet to increase mobility of rangers protecting wildlife across the country, Lesiyampe said, adding that 600 additional rangers will be recruited next week.
Last month Richard Leakey, a famed scientist and founding head of the Kenya Wildlife Service, alleged that the service had been infiltrated by powerful people enriching themselves from poaching. He urged the government to overhaul the service's management.
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