This archive report was first published on 21 August 2020.
On August 20, 2020, Co-operative Bank of Kenya signed a landmark agreement with the United for Wildlife's (UfW) financial taskforce to combat the illicit trade in wildlife.
The partnership, which brings the Kenyan lender into a network of thirty financial institutions worldwide, aims to disrupt and deter the use of financial systems to facilitate the trade.
Co-op Bank Managing Director Gideon Muriuki emphasized the lender's commitment to fighting wildlife trafficking, stating, "The signing up means the bank has now joined the UfW financial taskforce committing to fight the illegal trafficking in wildlife, by way of building illegal wildlife trade into existing financial crime compliance programs. Co-op Bank also commits to working with like-minded lenders, share good practices and support one another in fighting IWT."
Lord Hague of Richmond, chairman of the UfW financial taskforce, pledged support to the bank's commitment, highlighting the importance of collaboration in combating the illicit trade.
Co-op Bank has been a vocal advocate for wildlife protection, with its 'elephant in your wallet' card campaign and 'elebank'-shaped savings box for its Jumbo Junior account.
