The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched its Strategic Plan for 2024-2028, a blueprint aimed at transforming Kenya’s wildlife conservation landscape while enhancing socio-economic benefits.
The plan sets a bold vision for positioning Kenya as a global leader in sustainable tourism, with a focus on expanding the wildlife economy, community participation, and resilience against challenges like habitat degradation and human-wildlife conflict.
The five-year Strategic Plan centres on five key goals: fostering thriving wildlife populations, building resilient ecosystems rich in biodiversity, enhancing community and stakeholder engagement, expanding the wildlife economy, and creating a high-performing KWS.
This comprehensive approach seeks to boost wildlife conservation’s socio-economic potential, create jobs, improve livelihoods, and increase foreign exchange earnings.
Speaking at the launch, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano emphasized the role of the wildlife economy in reducing inequalities, supporting local economies, and enhancing food security, particularly in rural areas.
She highlighted initiatives such as promoting wildlife-based enterprises, strengthening marine reserve management, and diversifying tourism products as crucial steps toward achieving these goals.
“The government’s commitment to harnessing Kenya’s natural heritage for sustainable development is unwavering,” Miano said, noting that the plan aims to ensure conservation benefits are equitably shared among stakeholders.
She also praised KWS for embracing core values of accountability, integrity, and innovation, which she believes will guide the organization into a successful future.
Miano further acknowledged the contributions of the KWS Board of Trustees, chaired by Lt. General (Rtd) Walter Raria Koipaton, and Director General Dr. Erustus Kanga, commending their leadership in advancing the country’s conservation agenda.
Principal Secretary for Wildlife, Silvia Museiya, highlighted the Strategic Plan’s role in reducing biodiversity loss and improving community engagement.
“This plan will enhance the management of human-wildlife coexistence, promote equitable sharing of conservation benefits, and implement science-driven approaches to safeguard critical ecosystems,” Museiya said.
She pledged government support for frameworks to better coordinate and govern the wildlife sector.
KWS Director General Dr. Erustus Kanga described the plan as transformative, noting that it aligns with both the National Human-Wildlife Coexistence Strategy and the National Wildlife Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.
“These initiatives are key to ensuring resilience and sustainability for Kenya’s wildlife heritage for future generations,” Kanga stated.
With a focus on conservation-driven economic growth, KWS’s Strategic Plan for 2024-2028 is set to propel Kenya to new heights as a sustainable tourism powerhouse, ensuring communities benefit directly from conservation efforts while preserving the country’s unique natural heritage.
