This archive report was first published on 9 September 2019.
On September 8, 2019, construction began on a 75-kilometre electric fence around Kimana Sanctuary, a forestland along the Kenya-Tanzania border. The project, expected to cost Sh100 million, is a collaborative effort between the Big Life Foundation and local authorities to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the area.
According to Richard Bonham, founder of the Big Life Foundation, human-wildlife conflicts are a major threat to conservation in Africa. He noted that with most of Kenya's wildlife living outside protected areas, one of the challenges to conservation is how to sustain co-existence between people and wildlife.
Speaking at the launch of the project in Oloitokitok sub-county, Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku acknowledged the devastating impact of human-wildlife conflict on local communities. He stated that many people have been killed or injured, while crops worth millions of shillings have been destroyed by wild animals.
Mr. Lenku expressed hope that the project would bring about positive change in the area, saying, 'We hope with this project, things are going to change for the better.'
