By KIPCHUMBA KEMEI

Narok,Kenya: Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has increased allowances for rangers protecting rhinos and elephants in a bid to end poaching.

Acting Director General William Kiprono said rangers guarding rhinos will be paid Sh500 daily while those manning elephants will be paid Sh200.

Kiprono said the incentives will boost their morale of keeping marauding poachers at bay.

He also said the service has bought vehicles, night vision goggles and has recruited additional rangers from National Youth Service (NYS) to secure national parks, game reserves and all wildlife sanctuaries.

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Kiprono added that KWS will work with security teams in counties hosting wildlife, adding that out of 65 elephants that have been killed this year, 24 were from Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

“We have put measures in place to end poaching. We have also motivated our security personnel for them to discharge their duties effectively. I know through working with security teams in counties where wild animals reside, we will achieve a lot in ending poaching,” he said.

Speaking after he held closed door consultative meeting between the KWS senior managers and the Narok County Security team, he directed security personnel manning national parks and game reserve not to kill poachers but instead disarm and arrest them.

“Poachers should not be killed. They should be arrested for them to assist us in further investigations,” he said, reversing his predecessor Dr Julius Kipn’getich’s directive of shot to kill.