Another rhino killed at Lake Nakuru National Park

By Kipchumba Kemei and Patrick Kibet

Nakuru, Kenya: Mystery surrounds an alleged killing of black rhino inside the Lake Nakuru National Park Wednesday morning as Kenya wildlife service (KWS) issued conflicting statements.

Information from a senior officer at the KWS headquarters had earlier confirmed the killing but senior officials at the park denied the incident after taking journalists round circles.

The outgoing KWS Central Rift Conservation Area Assistant Director Jonathan Kirui refused to comment on the incident when contacted even as journalists thronged his office after the alleged incident.

Kirui dismissed journalists telling them to ‘report’ what they know despite confirmation from rangers who spoke to The Standard that indeed a rhino was killed but they were warned not to speak to the media.

At one point, the senior officer told journalists it was a bufallo which had been killed.

“Who are your informers? I have said I have no comment on the matter,” he said.

“There is no rhino which has been killed here. What I know is that several gunshots were heard inside the park,” said Kirui who added that on receiving the information, helicopters were dispatched to comb the park in a bid to ascertain if the rhino had indeed been killed.

Sources, however, confirmed that operation at the park was mounted early Wednesday morning after poachers killed a rhino near Sarova Hill.

The park senior Warden Ritans was holed up in a daylong meeting in his office even as conflicting information surrounding the incident continued to emerge.

A senior official at the service headquarters, who had confirmed the killing, later retracted the statement clarifying that they had been told to put on hold any communication with the media.

At the park, it was cat and mouse chase as officials kept journalists waiting for hours without giving them a brief.

The killing of the rhino comes four days after another one was killed prompting KWS Director General William Kiprono together with Cabinet Secretary Environment, Water and Ntaural Resources Prof Judy Wakhungu to visit the park.

So far, more than 10 rhinos have been killed in the park since the beginning of the year despite measures put in place by KWS to address the menace.

With the killings, KWS has reshuffled senior officers at the park. According to KWS, the park which is also a rhino sanctuary, has over 100 black and white rhinos with about 75 rangers manning the area.

KWS has also cited increasing water levels at the lake has pushed rhinos close to the fence exposing them to poachers.