By Antony Gitonga
NAIROBI, KENYA: At least thirty two senior KWS officers have been suspended from their official duties as the war on poaching went a notch higher.
Those interdicted are officers in charge of parks country wide while those at Headquarters are being investigated.
According to KWS Director William Kiprono, the officers have been directed to step aside to pave way for investigations into the increased cases of poaching in their areas.
Kiprono said some of the officers were working in cahoots with poachers and this had led to loss of wildlife in Kenya’s tourist attraction parks.
He noted that those found guilty will not only be relived of their duties but will also be charged in the courts.
Kiprono was speaking to the press during the third edition of the annual ‘Hells gate on a wheelbarrow race’ at Hellsgate National park in Naivasha.
He however said that human –wildlife cases were on the decline and called on locals to work together with the department in order to eliminate the vice.
He cited Naivasha conservation area where 80 percent of the wildlife roamed freely outside the parks as prone to the conflict.
During the race flower growers Florencis hammer were the toss of the day as they scooped the top position in the elite’s category.
Vd berg emerged the second while crayfish camp was ranked third in an event that attracted hundreds of local and foreign tourists.
The race is part of KWS fundraising mission for the construction of a modern conservation education complex estimated to cost Ksh 30m.
