AWF Urges Supporters to Stand Behind Kenya's Conservation Work

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) welcomes the recent agreement between Kenya's leaders to resolve the political crisis that broke out after closely contested national elections late last year. Under the agreement, President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga will share power, with Mr. Odinga serving as executive prime minister.

"It is our hope that the roadmap agreed to last month will begin to heal the deep divisions laid bare by recent events," says President Helen W. Gichohi, from AWF's headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. As the agreed measures take hold, AWF joins the people of Kenya in remembering the more than 1,000 people who tragically lost their lives and the 300,000 who were abruptly displaced.

In terms of the impact on conservation work -- an area in which Kenya has shown long leadership -- it will take time before the full impact of the crisis is known. The economic toll, however, looms large. As tourists stayed away, tourism-related revenues plummeted, straining the staffing and operational capacity of national parks and other agencies. To revive Kenya's world-renowned tourism sector, it is thus essential that national parks and other conservation programs get the support they need. So we can ensure that key lands and wildlife are protected, AWF urges our friends and partners to continue supporting our work in Kenya.

Two of the eight large-scale landscapes AWF works in are located in Kenya: the Kilimanjaro Heartland (which crosses the border into Tanzania) and the Samburu Heartland.

>Learn more: the African Heartlands