This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
On August 3, 2020, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala, led a commemoration of World Ranger Day at the Kenya Wildlife Service Headquarters in Nairobi, where he highlighted the importance of wildlife conservation.
The event, themed 'Celebrating Self-Sacrifice,' aimed to honor rangers globally for their bravery in protecting wildlife and their habitats. The World Rangers' Day is celebrated annually on July 31 to recognize the sacrifices made by rangers in their line of duty.
According to Balala, rangers work tirelessly under all weather conditions, risking their lives to ensure the survival of wildlife. He commended the rangers for their dedication and sacrifice, stating that they go beyond patrolling their areas of work.
"Rangers are the cement that binds together the continued survival of our biodiversity," Balala added.
He enumerated the risky duties performed by rangers, including ecological monitoring, investigative and intelligence duties, visitor security, search and rescue operations, and responding to emergencies such as bush firefighting and human-wildlife conflict cases.
Additionally, Balala announced that the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, along with other stakeholders, had started a naming provision for new-born rhinos in the parks. Those naming the calves pay a fee, which is put into a welfare fund for rangers.
"We are happy that to date, a total of Sh. 3.3 million has been raised from the naming of 33 rhino calves born this year," Balala said.
Other notable attendees at the event included the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry, Inspector General (Rtd) Joseph Boinnet, and the Principal Secretary, State Department for Wildlife, Prof. Fred Segor.
Prof. Segor emphasized the importance of conservation, stating that it is a responsibility of all Kenyans, not just the rangers. He also announced that the Government had committed Sh. 1 billion to the salaries of 3,500 community conservancy rangers to cushion them against the economic vagaries brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
The event was attended by various stakeholders, including the Director General, Kenya Wildlife Service, Brigadier (Rtd) John Waweru, the Vice Chair, KWS Board of Trustees, Betty Maitoyo, and the CEO, Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, Dickson Kaelo.
