SDW Conservation Sector Roundtable

REMARKS BY THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, STATE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, MINISTRY OF TOURISM, WILDLIFE AND HERITAGE, MS. SILVIA MUSEIYA ON PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SECTOR ROUNDTABLE AT SERENA HOTEL, NAIROBI ON 8^TH DECEMBER 2022

Wildlife conservation and management is an important sector for Kenya’s economy and community livelihoods.
Our wildlife resource endowment includes iconic and beautiful national parks, reserves and diverse wildlife species (elephants, rhino, lions, cheetah, among others). We pride ourselves as one of the leading tourists’ destinations because of the wildlife and its associated habitats.
Sustaining wildlife conservation in the face of emerging conservation challenges such as climate change, illegal wildlife trafficking and human-wildlife conflicts is an expensive venture that requires the inputs of various stakeholders through a sustained discussion and forging of conservation alliances similar to the models used by international airlines in the transportation sector.
The state department for wildlife thus takes a keen interest in alliances that strives to create synergies to support conservation cause. The journey towards a sustained conservation effort starts with a single but sustained effort.
We need the private-public partnerships (PPP) models comprising of the governmental, non-governmental actors and local community who bear the brunt of negative conservation consequences such as the human-wildlife conflicts.
The proposed causes for conservation stakeholders provide incentives for promoting partnerships and improve on human-wildlife co-existence- a core mandate of the state department for wildlife.
We expect that the participating institutions will embrace the concept as we forge head in developing durable solutions for sustained conservation.
Let’s keep the fire-burning as we forge ahead on the best solutions to energize our wildlife sector.
It is now my pleasure to Invite the Cabinet Secretary to Address you,