Nairobi, March 23 – Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has set up a task force to look into the modalities of wildlife utilization in the country.
The decision to form the task force was announced in a press release issued by Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, on March 23. The team will be headed by David Western, a former director of the Kenya Wildlife Service.
The task force will have the mandate to “evaluate options of consumptive utilization of wildlife (game farming and game ranching) in community and private lands, taking cognizance of the impacts, successes and failures of the previous wildlife cropping program,” according to the ministry’s statement.
It will also “evaluate how consumptive utilization will contribute to the national GDP (Gross Demestic Product), food security, job creation and livelihood support, with a view of creating co-existence between communities and wildlife.”