NAROK, Friday, March 04, 2016 -- Leading Kenyan environmentalists, government officials, and international donors gathered in Narok yesterday for World Wildlife Day 2016.  This year’s theme, “The Future of Wildlife is in Our Hands,” is particularly appropriate to Kenya, which remains a critical front in the effort to stop the global illegal trade in wildlife.

 

Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Cabinet Secretary Prof. Judi Wakhungu led the event at Masai Mara University in Narok Town, the gateway to the world-famous Masai Mara National Park, a landscape vital to Kenya’s tourism.  The event was organized by the Kenya Wildlife Service.  The Cabinet Secretary was joined by U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Robert F. Godec and other conservation champions to highlight Kenya’s unique natural heritage and the partnerships working to protect it.

 

Ambassador Godec cited the “strong and enduring partnership” between the United States and the Government of Kenya on conservation issues.  The Ambassador announced more than $4.1 million in new assistance, part of a suite of U.S. government programs totaling $50 million to support wildlife conservation and community development in Kenya.  These programs include expanded support to community conservancies in northern Kenya and the Masai Mara.