By Sandra Blessing
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched the National Single Species Action Plan for the Grey Crowned Crane (2024–2035).
The strategic roadmap aims to protect the endangered bird, alongside the recognition of students who excelled in the #WorldWildlifeDay2025 essay competition, showcasing youth engagement in conservation advocacy.
The strategic plan was launched at Kiborgoch Wildlife Wetlands and Community Conservancy in Marigat, Baringo County, where leaders, conservationists, and local communities gathered to commemorate the 2025 World Wildlife Day under the theme “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.”
The celebrations coincided with the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a critical global agreement to regulate wildlife trade and prevent species extinction.
Present were the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Miano, the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Wildlife, Silvia Museiya, Baringo Governor Benjamin Chesire Cheboi, KWS Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga, among others.
The event highlighted Kenya’s dedication to safeguarding its wildlife heritage while advancing sustainable development.
Miano reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to treating wildlife as a “national treasure,” emphasising its vital role in driving economic growth through tourism, agriculture, and ecosystem services.
She said conservation aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and Vision 2030, ensuring that natural resources benefit present and future generations.
Cheboi said there was a need for community-led conservation efforts, advocating for stronger financing mechanisms, climate resilience strategies, and sustainable tourism models to uplift local livelihoods.
Prof. Kanga acknowledged the importance of grassroots initiatives such as the Ilchamus Community Conservation Group for their work in restoring degraded ecosystems, creating eco-tourism opportunities, and demonstrating how wildlife conservation can fuel economic progress.
He highlighted ongoing #WorldWildlifeDay2025 activities across Kenya’s conservancies, calling for national unity in protecting biodiversity.
Local leaders called for urgent action to address challenges such as delayed compensation for human-wildlife conflicts, inadequate tourism infrastructure, and climate change impacts threatening both communities and ecosystems.
Kenya’s wildlife remains a cornerstone of her cultural identity, ecological balance, and economic prosperity. By integrating conservation into national development frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Kenya continues to champion a future where people and wildlife thrive together.
As stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment, the celebrations underscored a collective resolve to invest in innovative financing, climate action, and community empowerment—ensuring a legacy of thriving biodiversity for generations to come.
