Wildlife chief named amid row

2004-12-23 09:27

Nairobi - Kenya has named a new head of its wildlife services, amid a row over this month's decision by parliament to allow sport hunting and killing of wildlife straying onto private land, officials said on Thursday.

Julius Kangogo, 38, is the new director of Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), government spokesperson Alfred Mutua said.

He replaces Evans Mukolwe, who was suspended last month after anti-graft officers launched investigations into an alleged recruitment scandal in the state-run body, Mutua added.

"We believe the new man will put things at KWS in order," Mutua said.

The Kenyan parliament on December 9 amended the 1977 Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, which banned poaching and reckless killing of wild animals.

The amendment allows sport hunting as well as private ranchers to kill wildlife that drift into their land.

Complaints triggered

The change has triggered complaints from conservationists, activists and local communities, who said the law gives free rein to people seeking trophies and fun.

"We appeal to the new director to sit down with the government and draft a policy framework on wildlife conservation in the country as well as appeal to President Mwai Kibaki not to endorse the new law until wide consultations are done," the chairman of the Kenyan Coalition for Wildlife Conservation Management, Sydney Quntai said.

"It is would be pointless for him take over KWS while the new law gives real control of wildlife to ranchers," Quntai added.

KWS, formed in 1989, has been rocked by numerous management scandals, resulting in the firing of three former directors in the past decade.

Wildlife forms the core part of Kenya's mainstay tourism sector.

- AFP