NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 1- President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Personal Assistant Jomo Gecaga, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa, Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General Mohammed Badi, are among Kenyans appointed as honorary wardens by the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.
Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala through a gazette notice dated July 28, 2022 appointed 17 people who will volunteer as conservationists to assist in the conservation of wildlife using their various areas of expertise.
Other notable persons in the list include former NTV presenter Jane Ngoiri, journalist Trevor Ombija and Margret Otieno.
Others include Alexander Mareka Ditz, Mbugua Ngugi, Chetan Babu Gohil, Ibrahim M. K. Haji, Saddam Shabiby, Peter Nkonge Kirigua, Lt. Gen. Albert Kendagor, Lt. Gen. Jonah Mwangi, Lt. Gen. Peter Njiru, Maj. Gen. Fredrick Leuria, Margaret Otieno and Perry Mansukh Kansagra.
According to the Honorary Wardens Charter (2020), for one to be considered for appointment as an honorary warden, they must be resident within the conservation area in which they are applying for honorary Wardenship.
The responsibilities of an honorary warden include establishing cordial relationships with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) staff, the community and stakeholders; preparing periodic reports of their activities which shall be delivered to the local Warden and undertaking an annual performance planning and appraisal exercise with the local warden.
They are also responsible for reporting any criminal activity to the local Warden and in the absence of any KWS member on the ground, taking immediate action in case of any emergency, as well as delivering any trophies recovered to the local Warden.
Honorary wardens are conferred powers to arrest any person committing a wildlife crime in his presence and in the absence of any KWS member, seize any trophy in unlawful possession and surrender it to the nearest KWS station within 24 hours, as well as using a firearm for problem animal management.