The Wildlife Conservation and Management in Kenya: Implementing the Framework Law

Abstract

The term ‘wildlife’ in the strict sense is taken to mean both wild animals and wild birds in their natural habitats. However, the term refers to wild animals, wild birds and ‘flora’ in general. Wildlife therefore comprises of the natural ecosystem forming part of the environment. With tourism being one of the biggest foreign exchange earners for Kenya, wildlife management and conservation is necessary if Kenya is to maintain or improve its earnings from the tourism industry. This therefore means that wildlife conservation and management in Kenya is meant to preserve the ecosystem for aesthetic, scientific and economic purposes. It is this policy of wildlife conservation and management that is now being the subject of widespread criticism for it excludes local communities from participating in the conservation and management of wildlife that forms part of their environment. This research paper therefore seeks to examine wildlife conservation and management in Kenya as well as the implementation of the framework law.