This archive report was first published on 3 May 2021.
Book Review: The Big Conservation Lie Exposed ¶
Published on May 3, 2021, by Muchira Gachenge of Nation Media Group
Naomi Campbell's appointment as Magical Kenya International Tourism Ambassador has sparked outrage among Kenyans, with many questioning her credentials to represent Kenya on the international stage. However, this controversy has overshadowed a more pressing issue - the exploitation of local communities by the wildlife conservation sector.
John Mbaria and Mordecai Ogada's book, The Big Conservation Lie, sheds light on the dark underbelly of Kenya's wildlife conservation sector. The authors expose the rot and exploitation that has been going on unabated since before independence.
According to the book, conservation policies are designed to exclude local African communities that have coexisted with biodiversity and wild animals for centuries. Ogada, a former employee at Kenya Wildlife Trust, reveals how his experience revealed the aim of conservationists was to manipulate authorities and locals, take control of animal parks, and make top dollar from it.
The book puts the government at the centre of the problems bedevilling the conservation sector. Corruption and racism continue to thrive, with the person with a European accent and deep pockets calling the shots. The wildlife conservation sector is still a colonial enterprise, involving locals only to legitimise its existence and operations.
As Mbaria and Ogada candidly expose the rot and exploitation in the conservation sector, they reveal how local communities continue to suffer. From relocation to drier areas without water to being shot by Kenya Wildlife Service guards on allegations of poaching, the truth is unsettling.
Buy this book from nuria store and get angry enough to demand change.
