Kenyan government has launched the East and Central Africa Elephant Walk to boost wildlife conservation in the region.
Peninah Malonza, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, told journalists in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that the walk will involve environmentalists from the Elephant Neighbors Center who will transverse Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and cover about 3,000 km over a period of 130 days.
“The walk is a renewed campaign against elephant and other endangered species poaching and trafficking,” Malonza said.
According to Kenya Wildlife Service, the country’s elephant population is estimated at 38,000 as of 2022.
Malonza said that the walk signifies a crucial step in amplifying public education and awareness, especially in a country like Kenya, where 50 percent of the populace are youth who hold the key to reducing poaching and protecting wildlife.
Jim Nyamu, the executive director of Elephant Neighbors Center, said that the walking campaign aims to raise awareness about the plight of African elephants as well as engage local communities in wildlife conservation, noting that the public awareness campaign is also aimed at increasing space for wildlife conservation across East and Central Africa and aligning with the idea of developing the East African Community (EAC) wildlife conservation strategy.
“Wildlife knows no political boundary and we wholeheartedly support initiatives like these that expand space for conservation beyond borders,” he added.