New law to allow killing of wildlife

The EastAfrican has learnt that organisations like the World Conservation Union, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the African Conservation Centre, the Africa Wildlife Foundation, the East African Wildlife Society as well as the Laikipia Wildlife Forum happy with some of the provisions of the earlier Bill, and had formed the Technical Caucus of Conservation Organisations in Kenya to lobby for its review.

“These organisations lobbied Mr Wekesa to allow a partial review of the Wildlife Bill, 2007,” said Josphat Ngonyo, director of the Africa Network for Animal Welfare.

He said the lobbyists were unhappy that the consultations had unequivocally ruled out sport hunting and had gone to the minister in the hope that hunting, or something similar could be included in the Bill.

The EastAfrican has also learnt that Mr Wekesa formed a technical committee, which was led by an environmental lawyer, George Wamukoya, to come up with the Wildlife Bill 2009.
The “technical caucus” then wrote a memorandum last November that has been seen by The EastAfrican.

They totally rejected the 2007 Bill, saying it not only provided “disincentives to conserve wildlife” but that it had numerous technical and scientific errors, ambiguities and inconsistencies.

“It is recommended that redrafting be done with technical input from the mainstream conservation sector,” they said.

It appears that Mr Wekesa had agreed to this call. But now, the Kenya Coalition has lobbied him to consider tabling the 2007 Bill before Cabinet and parliament instead of the new Bill.

“We request you to forward the draft document received by Hon (Morris) Dzoro to the Cabinet and Parliament,” said the coalition.

The Coalition argues that any changes or amendments to the 2007 Bill to be made in parliament.

“In case you consider that there is need to review the draft (2007) Bill at the ministry level, we further request that you provide for an all inclusive and consultative national process,” it said.