Scholars call for reforms to save rare birds

Villagers gather to view a rare migratory bird that flew from Finland to Usalo village in Siaya County on June 6, 2025. [Isaiah Gwengi, Standard]

Despite the many efforts made in the management of wildlife in the country, the focus is hardly on the vulnerable species of birds such as raptors, bustards, flamingos, and cranes.

Kenya has made major strides in expanding electricity access, with renewable energy central to its development and climate agenda.

Solar, wind, and transmission infrastructure are expanding rapidly, reflecting global and national commitments to decarbonisation. However, this progress brings unintended ecological risks.

“Power lines and wind farms cause bird electrocutions, collisions, and habitat fragmentation. This threatens vulnerable bird species. These impacts are well-documented globally but remain largely absent from Kenya’s wildlife and energy policy frameworks,” a study conducted between 2021 and 2024 to assess electrocution and collision hotspots in Kenya reveals.

The study, conducted by Strathmore University’s Centre for Biodiversity Information Development, highlights the urgency of integrating bird-safe infrastructure into Kenya’s policy landscape. It reveals that infrastructure-related bird deaths are an emerging but overlooked challenge.

The omission leaves biodiversity unprotected and exposes the energy sector to avoidable financial losses from bird-related outages.

“Current strategies emphasise human–wildlife conflict, poaching, and habitat degradation, but overlook the risks from infrastructure growth. With Kenya’s energy masterplan envisioning continued network expansion and regional interconnections, this policy gap undermines conservation gains and international obligations,” observed Dr David Chiawo and Dr Peggy Ngila, researchers at the centre.

According to the study, overhead power lines affect bird life when birds in flight strike power lines, when birds perch on wires and complete electrical circuits, and when power lines degrade and fragment habitats by cutting across open landscapes and vital bird areas.

In Africa, electrocution and collision incidents have been documented in Sudan, South Africa and Kenya. Bustards, flamingoes, raptors, and cranes are among the most affected species. These fatal incidents not only endanger vulnerable bird populations, but also disrupt electricity supply and cause costly outages for providers and distributors, the study observes.

Due to the absence of electrocution and collision risks in Kenya’s biodiversity and energy frameworks, the study recommends immediate reforms to integrate wildlife safeguards into the Wildlife Act, National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan, and energy licensing processes.