Environmental issues in Kenya

During Kenya's colonial era (1895-1963), elephant and rhino hunting was viewed as an elite sport by British colonizers.[9] Post-independent Kenya saw a decrease in over half of the elephant population during the period of 1970 to 1977,[10] even though the country banned elephant hunting in 1973. In 1977, all animal hunting was banned in Kenya. The Kenya Wildlife Service was then established in 1989. The state corporation responded to high levels of poaching, insecurity in the conservation and wildlife parks, and inefficiency and low morale within Kenya's game department.[11] The international ban on the trade in ivory was implemented through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).[11] This law contributed to a significant but temporary decline in elephant poaching, which facilitated population rehabilitation.[11] Wildlife poaching and trafficking re-emerged in the 2000s due to increased demands of ivory and rhino horns, posing threats to extinction in the near future. The Kenyan Wildlife service works closely with Kenyan law enforcement agencies. However, some argue that conservation efforts should not be solved by what is called green militarization,[12] wherein conservation efforts and policies are aided by increased policing and criminalization. On the other hand, there may be circumstances in which militarization is a necessary measure.[13] In any case, scholars and policy-makers are interested in considering the effects of green washing policies in conservation and militarization.[13]

Public ivory burning in Nairobi in 2016.

Ivory burning is a public event meant to deter animal poaching. Kenya was the first to burn ivory in 1989, then destroyed the largest amount in 2016 (105 tonnes).

Language and rhetoric from the media on "the war on poaching" can be dehumanizing and do not provide the full picture. The reality is that many Kenyans who face poor living conditions, live in informal housing settlements, and struggle to make a liveable income, turn to poaching.[14] Aside from financial incentives, some of the main drivers for poaching are reported to be related to class, gender inequity, and uneven development across Kenya.[15] These poor conditions can be attributed to Kenya's colonial history.[16]

Elephant tusks and rhino horns have high value on illegal markets. Although Kenya has many national parks and reserves protecting wildlife--elephant and rhino populations are still at risk. These threats of endangerment may be attributed to corruption within the Kenyan government and military.[17][18] An independent study investigating 743 cases between January 2008 and June 2013 reveal that those found guilty of wildlife crime were rarely getting substantially fined.[17] In many cases, corrupt government officials help poachers and trophy hunters for bribes.[18]

Although all animal hunting was banned in Kenya in 1977, trophy hunting is still allowed--for a high price. Proponents of trophy hunting in Kenya argue that the profits support conservation efforts, and that the killing of animals by humans will not decrease since many encroach on human settlements.[19] It is also argued that trophy hunting should not be banned, but rather reformed, because the animals will otherwise attack humans.[19] However, there is insufficient data to assess whether trophy hunting correlates to a decrease in animal attacks on humans.

This problem is worsened by corruption and some officials supplementing their income by permitting poaching.[20] In The Big Conservation Lie, John Mbaria and Mordecai Ogada wrote that the main problem of the crisis are not poachers, but the alienation of local people from wildlife conservation.[21] In fact, conservation is deeply rooted in the country's coloniality.[21] National parks were established and built for recreational purposes for the European settlers, thereby excluding locals.[21] Today, local populations are still being displaced from their lands through the creation of wildlife parks and conservation areas.[22] About 20% of Kenya's land are in Protected Areas (PAs), which are largely run by non-Indigenous Kenyans who earn immense profits from eco-tourism.[22] Very little of the earnings (less than $5000 USD per year) from eco-tourism go to Kenyans working in hospitality services or as wildlife rangers.[22]

Recently, as animal byproduct sales on the illegal markets increase at a high annual growth rate, new challenges arise in wildlife protection. Controversy over the construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway project, constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), prompted the Chinese contractors to initiate wildlife protection efforts.[23]