Annual Report and Financial Statements 2011 i Contents Board of Trustees iii Our Core Statements iv List of Abbreviations and Acronyms v Chairman’s Statement vi Director’s Statement viii Wildlife Conservation 1 Law Enforcement 8 Service Delivery 12 Wangari Maathai 18 Financial Statements 24 KWS Park Visitor Numbers 43 List of Partners 44 KWS Contact Addresses 46 ii Board of Trustees Hon David Mwiraria Margaret Wawuda Julius Kipng`etich Chairman Vice Chair Director Winnie Kiiru Dr Thomas Manga Edward Ngigi Member Member Member Gideon Gathaara David Mbugua Ian Craig Rep. Permanent Secretary Member Member Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife iii Board of Trustees Felix Oulo Hassan Noor Hassan Patricia Awori Member Member Member Nicholas Ole Kamwaro Adil Khawaja Stephen Karani Member Member Rep. PS Ministry of Finance Julius Ndegwa Mutea Iringo Rep. Commissioner of Police Rep. PS Office of the President and Internal Security iv Our Core Statements To be a world leader in wildlife conservation To sustainably conserve and manage Kenya’s wildlife and its habitats in collaboration with stakeholders for posterity Our Vision At KWS, we conserve and manage Kenya’s wildlife scientifically, responsively and professionally. We do this Ourwith integrity, Mission recognising and encouraging staff creativity and continuous learning and teamwork inpartnership with communities and stakeholders. Value Statement v List of Abbreviations and Acronyms AP Administration Police BATUK British Army Training Unit in Kenya CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora COYA Company Of the Year Awards GPS Global Positioning System GSU General Service Unit IFAW International Fund for Animal Welfare INTERPOL International Criminal Police Organisation ISO International Organisation for Standardisation KICC Kenyatta International Conference Centre KRB Kenya Roads Board KTF Kenya Tourism Federation KWS Kenya Wildlife Service LATF Lusaka Agreement Task Force MFTS Manyani Field Training School MIKE Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants MIST Management Information System NCAS National Carbon Accounting System NEMA National Environmental Management Authority NRT Northern Rangelands Trust PDP Part Development Plans RMMS Road Maintenance Management System USAID United States Agency for International Development vi Chairman’s Statement wenty eleven was a year of continued change – most of it positive – within KWS and in its mode of operation. This report details the work we have done in the three main areas that are central to our mandate: wildlife conservation; law enforcement insofar as it applies to conserving our natural heritage; and delivery of our services to the community at large. To this, I should add one crucial dimension to our work, the involvement of local communities in the benefits of wildlife conservation. Whether it is through the development was once perceived. We are no longer an of new nature-based enterprises or the ‘authority’ that coerces local communities financial ‘trickle down’ effect of low into cooperation: instead they are impact, high spending tourists, wildlife encouraged to ‘buy in’ to the notion of conservation should be seen as a critical conservation for their own prosperity and supplement to traditional livestock well-being. Locals are the custodians of grazing. It is for this reason that 2011was Kenya’s wildlife heritage, and far more designated as the Year of Communities. still needs to be done to recognise the importance of those who live closest to the To this end, we have embarked on a number wild animals, both within and adjacent to of programmes that assist communities protected areas. living with wildlife, including the Maasai, Samburu and other ethnic groups within It needs also to be understood that the Northern Rangelands. These include although KWS is not perceived as a money- Tthe development of small eco-tourism making organisation, the fulfilment of businesses making use of wildlife as its mandate supports many commercial, a resource. Although the budget for tax-paying enterprises in the tourism supporting projects in local communities sector, not to mention the hundreds of has been increased by 50% this year, it international broadcast camera crews remains pitifully small given the crucial that visit this country every year. This importance that local communities can indirect contribution to the country’s play in conserving the nation’s wildlife economy needs to be recognised, so that heritage. the Service’s revenue from conservation fees adequately supplemented by support Working with local communities has from the Government and international involved a change in the way that KWS development partners. vii With this in mind, the KWS Endowment and educating the people at home and Fund was established in 2010 to provide abroad on the critical importance of a long term, sustainable source of funding maintaining adequate forest cover in the for wildlife conservation and its habitats. country are an example to anyone who Anyone can contribute to this fund, cares about the future of Kenya’s natural from corporate entities to individuals. In heritage. A tribute to her is contained in supporting the Endowment Fund, you this report. will have assisted a cause that has a positive impact on future generations of Kenyans Otherwise, I am privileged to invite you and visitors to this country. Details of the to read through our accomplishments in Fund and how to support it can be found detail. I hope that this will inspire you to on our website www.kws.go.ke. sustain your interest in the Service and give us support wherever you can. KWS also acknowledges the work of Wangari Maathai, an outstanding conservationist who passed away in 2011. Hon David Mwiraria, EGH Her tireless efforts in halting desertification Chairman, KWS Board of Trustees. viii Director’s Statement he year 2011 has seen a subtle but important paradigm shift in the articulation of our mission. We have realigned our Strategic Plan away from aspiring to be a world leader in wildlife – a task that we feel has largely been accomplished – towards ‘saving the last great species and spaces on earth for humanity ’. This puts greater emphasis on the urgency of protecting our natural heritage from the threats of growing population, climate change, wildlife crime and abuse of the environment. Operationally, we have invested heavily in Although we continue to market our capacity building, particularly in training wildlife heritage in its entirety both at those staff in the technical skills necessary home and abroad, we are keen to spread to discharge their duties effectively in the financial risk and ecological burden the field. These include wildlife data arising from having too many tourists gathering and analysis, community in some parks and not enough in others. relations and a variety of skills relating to Currently, 80% of all park visitors frequent safety and security. At the same time, we just five of our 65 protected areas – Lake shall in mid-2012 be implementing a pay Nakuru, Amboseli, the Tsavos , and the structure for our staff that will represent a Aberdares. To redress the balance, we are marked improvement in terms for them. structuring Park fees and aligning our marketing to encourage visitors to Mount We are also working hard to improve Kenya, the Nairobi National Park, Hell’s internal efficiencies in anticipation of a Gate, the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary and Trather sluggish year ahead for the tourism the Marine Parks on the coast. We have industry: there is little doubt that the also established a new rhino sanctuary in global financial crisis will have an impact Ruma National Park in Nyanza Region. on the number of visitors from Europe, This, we hope, will bring more tourists to who have traditionally been among our the Western circuit. major contributors in. However, local marketing continues to yield dividends A couple of landmark events during the in the number of domestic tourists, who year included the burning of illegally now comprise 64% of all visitors to the acquired ivory in Tsavo West National Parks. This represents a marked increased Park. This was presided over by our over previous years. Head of State, and attended by eminent conservationists and parties to the Lusaka ix Agreement Task Force, a regional wildlife The country’s wildlife heritage will be law enforcement agency, of which Kenya considerably safer when this Act is endorsed is a member. Another key achievement was by Parliament, and the sooner it can be the acquisition of Laikipia National Park, done, the better. a 17,000 acre migratory corridor between Laikipia and Samburu that has hitherto Collaboration with partners at home been unprotected. One particularly and abroad has always been important innovative method of adapting land for to us, and we are now sharing our skills wildlife is the notion of ‘voluntary land with organisations in Tanzania, Ethiopia, easement’, in which the landowner agrees Uganda, Zambia and the Congo. This to restrict its use to be compatible with year we have seconded staff to Republican wildlife conservation for an agreed period. of Southern Sudan, which has enormous This has been done with land adjacent to parks whose management is understandably Nairobi National Park, and we plan to still in its infancy. The fact that our skills extend this model to other wildlife areas in are recognised so extensively abroad is the country. testament to the quality of our professionals and the strength of the KWS brand. In addition to involving local communities in our management decisions, we are also KWS is an enthusiastic supporter of the doing our best to encourage responsible country’s Vision 2030, and we are currently tourism by training KWS staff to educate well on track with fulfilling our own visitors on the importance of sensitive undertakings in this respect: cultivating behaviour. This includes avoidance of the concept of ‘Premium Parks’ at Lake animal teasing, dropping of litter and Nakuru and Amboseli with the aim of driving in prohibited areas.