By Shadrack Nyakoe
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has called for enhanced collaboration and innovative approaches to address challenges in wildlife conservation.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting at a Nairobi hotel, Miano highlighted progress made since the last engagement in August while emphasizing the need to align efforts with the Ministry’s Strategic Plan 2023–2027.
Miano outlined the Ministry’s focus areas, including restoring ecosystems through reforestation and the greening of wildlife corridors, addressing human-wildlife conflicts through preventive measures and timely compensation, and combating illegal wildlife trade by expanding intelligence networks and adopting advanced surveillance technologies.
She also emphasized the importance of building climate change resilience through infrastructure improvements and implementing the Wildlife Climate Adaptation Strategy.
The CS stressed the need for robust conservation education programs targeting schools and communities, as well as the finalization of pending policy documents to address emerging challenges and align with global commitments.
She reaffirmed Kenya’s responsibility to protect its diverse wildlife heritage for future generations, acknowledging the critical funding gaps hindering conservation efforts.
Miano urged stakeholders to explore innovative financing mechanisms and diversify revenue streams, noting that sustainable conservation requires collective action.
She committed to fostering partnerships with county governments and other stakeholders to create an enabling environment for investment in the wildlife sector.
She also emphasized the importance of leveraging modern technology to address emerging challenges such as climate change and reaffirmed the Ministry’s dedication to fostering transparent and coordinated collaboration.
Miano concluded by encouraging stakeholders to remain united in their mission, maintain momentum, and work together to turn conservation challenges into opportunities.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment to strengthening governance and coordination mechanisms to deliver meaningful and impactful results for wildlife conservation in Kenya.