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{
    "id": 358139,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/358139/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 72,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "There is a recent example where the Deputy Director of Amboseli Trust for Elephant, Susan Solie and her son Robert were charged for being in possession of 19 Kilogrammes of Ivory. In addition, another conservationist Dan Kaki has been implicated in stealing rhino horns from Ol Pejeta Wildlife Sanctuary strong room. This case is still being investigated by the police to date. The way the situation is, who will watch the watchers, KWS and managers and wildlife conservation? This is where we need to have better regulatory framework and better conservation policies so that even the watchers; those who have been entrusted to safeguard and make sure that our wildlife is safe are also fully regulated. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) which is the Government advisory body deliberated on this issue of poaching and came out with very careless resolutions. They were committed, full force of the law, to end the threat facing our elephants and rhinos. They acknowledge that elephants and rhinos are Kenya’s national heritage and treasure. That elephants and hippopotamus must be put in their own intrinsic rights and also to secure our economic potential in tourism in the Vision 2030 as one of the major pillars. They argued that illegal killing of these animals and other species should be reviewed and spotted as economic sabotages. This is because it was a great fate to Kenya’s indigenous results whereby tourism is a major contributor to national economy. Hon. Deputy Speaker, let me give the way forward. The first thing to do is to ensure that these criminals do not use our seas and our airports to traffic illegal ivory and rhino horns. We need to make our penalties punitive by having these criminals jailed for a period of not less than 15 years with no option of fines; or get fined not less than Kshs10 million or both and that is really the way to go. Hon. Deputy Speaker, our country has been labeled as gang of eight that promotes ivory trafficking by cites. Others include; Uganda, Tanzania, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and China. It is a shame. Kenya has become the second largest transiting country for illegal ivory in Africa, second only to Tanzania. Yet at one time we were seen to be a leader in terms of conservation, globally. Act 376 must be reviewed because it is not as deterrent to poachers as it is. We need to overhaul the Act. We also have to finance KWS and its various units so that we are able to follow the poacher and get information on their activities. Hon. Deputy Speaker, this trend must stop so that this country can reclaim its glory and its fame as one nation which actually promotes conservation. These amendments and fines, if they happen, will be in tandem with other countries like South Africa has have very good penalties, even much stiffer and punitive than the ones we are proposing through the Bill which I am bringing to this House any time. The rhinos’ horns are poisoned and those who consume them are healed. The poison is fatal in nature but if it is treated with the horns, it heals nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Such drastic measures, coupled with the stiff penalties I am proposing, will enable the Government to not only protect wildlife but also generate a lot of revenue, which we need so badly for development. Hon. Deputy Speaker, Kenya is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world, attracting millions of tourists annually. This country recorded a tourism growth rate of 15 per cent since 2009. Kenya recorded a total of 1,095,945 tourists in 2010 alone,"
}