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Head of ecotourism Kenya arrested or not
Organisation refutes statement by Kenya Wildlife Service that Kahindi Lekalhaile was never arrested over whistleblowing
Ecotourism Kenya has refuted a statement by Kenya Wildlife Service appearing on page 6 of the Daily Nation newspaper, 24th March 2012, stating that Mr. Kahindi Lekalhaile, its Chief Executive Officer was never arrested and quizzed by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Kenya Police over his published opinion that the KWS could have understated the number of elephant killings in Kenya last year.
Ecotourism Kenya says that last year witnessed one of the worst episodes of ivory poaching in recent times, which may have resulted in the death of hundreds of elephants throughout the country.
The gravity of the problem cannot be underestimated. KWS claims that over eight tons of ivory on illegal transit were intercepted in Kenya; there is a possibility that a lot more tonnage was trafficked unnoticed by the wildlife authority. Wildlife poaching was reported frequently in 2011 by KWS, community conservancies and locally-based conservation organizations.
Apparently, the poaching menace has continued since the beginning of this year and the situation is growing worse daily, given the high number of poaching incidents reported by KWS and other wildlife stakeholders, including tour operators countrywide. This is a big threat to tourism, says Ecotourism Kenya.
Clearly Kenya currently has a serious wildlife poaching problem. It’s in this realization that Mr. Kahindi candidly expressed his opinion as entitled and enshrined in Kenya’s constitution. Kahindi cannot be persecuted or incarcerated for expressing his opinion, albeit different from the KWS Director.
Ecotourism Kenya urges KWS to engage Ecotourism Kenya and other stakeholders in addressing the poaching menace, while tolerating, respecting and upholding freedom of speech on the matter.
For further information http://www.ecotourismkenya.org
Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2012 Special Offers HERE
Valere
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