Category Archives: Animals

Kenya: Cow thief is beaten to death as he tried to sell the stolen animal to the slaughter house in Rong town leaving the town without beef for several days

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Rongo Town

An ugly incident occurred in Rongo Town on Tuesday this week in which a suspected cow thief was beaten to death by a mob of angry residents.

As the result of the ugly incident, a large number of meat traders from Nairobi who have invaded the town in recent months fled the area in disarray running for their own dear lives.

It all started at a village called Kasere Winyo, which is located on the main Rongo-Homa-Bay road about six kilometers from Rongo town. One farmer woke up on Sunday morning and found one of his cows missing. He raised the alarm and villagers joined hi in search for the missing animal with no trace.

On Monday night the same cattle rustlers went back to the village and stole another three animals. Meanwhile a resident of Rongo town who is living in a rented house had by Monday sold the cow which went missing last Sunday to the meat traders who are said to have been camping in Rongo town from Nairobi.

But the cow could not be slaughtered on Monday as there were too many animals waiting on the line to be slaughtered. The meat trader who had bought the cow advised the thief to take it back to his house and deliver it the next morning {Tuesday}, which he obliged.

The next morning the unsuspecting thief delivered the animal at the slaughter house early in the morning. One of the residents, who had been made aware about the missing of animals, using his mobile phone called the owner of the cow. By this time, the owner of the animal and other villagers were armed while searching for the three other missing animals. The group rushed to Rongo with their crude weapons ready for a bloody confrontation with the meat traders.

The meat traders and the owner of the slaughter house whose name was given as a Mr Migawo were roughed by he mob, forcing them to show the villager the rented house of the suspect. The suspect had apparently left his house very early in the morning not expecting any trouble, and he walked toward Missadhi on the main-Rongo-Migori Kisii road.

Members of the searching team visited the house and found three other missing animals tie inside a room. They sent for the suspected thief using motor bike taxis. They caught up with him and forced him onto one of the back by tying him to the rider who brought him back. At this time, the mob had already dismantled the house, removed the roof made of iron sheets, windows and doors and were bout to set the house alight, but it was raining heavily.

They frog matched the thief to the Rongo police station half a kilometers away and beat up senselessly. At this time, a huge crowd of onlooker had formed and members of the public joined the fray an the beating of the suspect intensified. They used all sort of crude weapons such as rungus, stones, walking sticks, spears and machetes. By then time the police arrived the man was already unconscious. He was rushed to Migori Hospital where he died.

It was later established than the suspect had moved to Rongo in the recent months and established himself as a cattle dealer, but was only using gents while visiting the surrounding villages by nightfall. Most of the cattle slaughtered at Rongo slaughter house were slaughtered during the darkness.

There has been upsurge of meat traders from Nairobi who transport beef and carcasses of the slaughtered animals all along from Rongo to Butcheries in Nairobi.

The exercises started in the neighboring Migori Town, but after numerous complaints by farmers who have lost their animals including the highly prized graded dairy cows, the police intervened in Migori sending the meat traders packing, but they immediately established contact with cattle thieves around Rongo who are reported to have been selling the stolen animals at throw away prices.

For the last two days Rongo has been without meat. All the butcheries remained closed and so was the privately owned slaughter house {Abattoir}.The government has placed the immediate embargo that anyone wishing to have his animal slaughtered in the town must bring the permit along with the animal which is duly signed by the Assistant Chief and the chief of the location certifying that the animals is his or hers.

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horrifying photo of a man suspected of be a cow thief being beaten up savagely in Rongo town, Migori County in Kenya.The man later died in Hospital after h was taken unconscious by the police who come to his rescue.

KENYA: RUMA NATIONAL GAME PARK IS GRADUALLY LOSING ITS SPECIAL AND RARE ROAN ANTELOPE

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RUMA NATIONAL GAME PARK IS GRADUALLY LOSING ITS SPECIAL AND RARE ROAN ANTELOPE WHICH IS THE CENTER OF ATTRACTION FOR TOURISTS UNLESS CONSERVATION EFFORT IMPROVES.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay.

The rare roan antelope which for decades ago was roaming the hills plains in Eastern, Mt.Elgon and many wild animal sanctuaries in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania is gradually facing inevitable extinction.

Experts say only about 50 are left and their last home is Ruma National Game Park in Mbita district within Homa-Bay County.

The fierce and beautiful almost the size of Greater Kudu and Oryx, the roan antelope is arguably the center of attraction to tourists visiting the Ruma National Park, which is located abut 23 kilometers southwest of the lakeside town of Homa-Bay. The park, however, is administratively part of Mbita district.

During the recently concluded workshop held in Homa-Bay to sensitize the local communities on the importance of the community backed conservation, the Director of the Kenya Wild Life Services Julius Kipng’etich issued an alert signal that the rare roan antelope is gradually facing extinction unless join conservation measures are put in place.

He told the participants that the future of roan antelope in Ruma National Game Park is a matter of urgent concern to the local leaders and the entire communities living within the villages surrounding the park.

The rare roan antelope is great asset to the park, which is expected to play an important economic role in the newly created Homa-Bay County under the new constitutional dispensation as sure way on its revenue and source of the region’s economy. The County is expected to be constituted and inaugurated next year after the general election and will have to improve infrastructure jointly with KWS so as to make it attractive to the tourists and vibrant.

Ruma National Game park houses variety of wildlife, bird and pre-historic sites and there is high expectation that the park, which is he only one in the Southern Nyanza region would be an asset and major source of revenue to the County.

The KWS boss said that the beautiful and rare roan antelope now facing extinction could only be found at Ruma National Game Park. And the workshop was held specifically to be brainstorm on the recovery and conservation of the endangered species of antelope.

Kipng’etich disclosed that the population of roan antelope is rapidly declining at an alarming rate, He attributed this trend to several factors predation, disease and threat to forest habitat.

He said the last position of refuge of the roan antelope globally is in the 120 square kilometers Ruma National Game Park which is found I the Lambwe Valley, about 425 kilometers South West of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

That not withstanding, Kipng’etich warned tat the population of roan antelope at the Ruma National Game Park has drastically declined from202 in 1976 to only about 50 individual currently roaming the park.

“The decline in number shrinking in distribution roan antelope in Kenya necessitate to the formation of a national task force.

The task force will spearhead the process of formulating a national recovery, conservation and management strategy.

The strategy was released by the government last month {August 2011}, is expected to guide the conservation efforts of the roan antelope. It will explore all available options to ensure the species thrives for the present and future generations.

Originally the roan antelope occupied fairly large areas of Southern Kenya. Conservation experts say the antelope used to abundantly occupy all wild animal sanctuaries from Lake Nation to Lake Victoria, Mt Elgon, and Cherangany hills, as well as pockets of Central and Thika, Kitui as well as an area east of Chyulu Hills.

But is populations have declined rapidly during the last 40 years throughout its traditional natural habitat.

The KWS experts say there have been no confirmed reports of species from either Eastern or Mara and Oloolal Escarpment of the Mt Elgon region over the last region..

Kipng’etich told the communities living next to the Ruma National Park to participate fully in the conservation effort of the park if they want to benefit for it.They should imagine and take it serious that this is the last home of the roan antelope in Africa.

He called on local people and leaders from the entire Homa-Bay County to step up their cooperative effort to enhance the county’s rare resources, which he noted is very strategic for the development of the region in terms of employment opportunities..The workshop was also attended by participants from Tanzania and Uganda and the Chief Game Warden at the Ruma National Game Park John Wambua.

uma National Game Park used to be rich in all sorts of wildlife including the Big Five, but owing to human population pressure, the colonial authority in Kenya in the early 1940s ordered to for the physical removal f elephants, the shooting and killing of lions while the few population of rhinos moved out and settle at the nearby Manyuru Forest in Central Kabuch Location, where they were whipped by poachers and this forest is now human villages. The elephants were escorted to Ang’we Forest, which is located six kilometers east of Awendo town, and eventually escorted to the Sikawa Hills now part of the Maasai Mara.

What used to be part ofAng’we forest is now part of the nucleus estates of the SONYSUGAR company based at Awendo’ Effort by the leaders of the former County Council of South Nyanza to have the elephants returned to the park in the early 1960 hit the rock due to logistic problems, but a few herds of buffaloes numbering about 60 are still holed deep in the Lambwe forest and rarely comes out during the day. The buffaloes have become the target of poachers from the surrounding villages using snare wires to capture them for meat and other crude method of killing the animals.

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Kenya: VETS Taking livestock industry for a ride.

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From: pius abori

Kenyon’s livestock industry were it not for Livestock production department and veterinary technicians would be a dead sector.The vets are actually happy when its not functional as this gives them space to import and manufacture substandard drugs and salt licks.They are notorious for employing technicians at low very low salaries and arrogating themselves on how they know about diseases.Others don,t know even how to write a simple technical report.there must be something wrong with there training or what gives

Kenya: MPS engaged the government on a heated debate over elephants poaching and illicit ivory smuggling trade

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

For the first time, members of Kenyan Parliament on Tuesday night this week took the government to task in a tension parked and heated debate to explain why it has allowed the exportation of 247 tusks worth Kshs 380 million.

The elephant tusks in question were reported to have been shipped to Thailand in suspicious manner, but were later nabbed and impounded by the Thai customs officials in Bangkok.

The MPs were also shocked to learn that the company which is said to have exported the ivory tusks fro the Kilindini Port in the Kenyan coastal City of Mombasa does not exist.

The Forestry and Wildlife Minister Dr. Noah Wekesa who had partly answered a parliamentary question last week skipped the heated exchange and stayed away from the House, leaving the crucial matters to be handled by a junior Minister Hon Joseph Nanok.

The House was stunned by the Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo who kicked off the debate by tabling a letter from the Kenya Revenue Authority {KRA} indicating that the company that had exported the 247 tusks two months ago P.I.Prozen and Partners Limited is a ghost that does not exist.

The legislators were further shocked to learn that KRA had issued a Personal Identification Number { Pin number} to the ghost company to transact business in Kenya even when its directors were unknown.

“How can KRA issue a Pin number to a company it doesn’t even know?, Thundered Kilonzo amid the prolonged foot thumping by the stunned MPs.

He added, “this is bound to encourage illegal activities in this country,”

The disclosure seemed to have angered the House Speaker Kenneth Marende who promptly directed the Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti who was in the House to liaise with the taxman and deal with the “undesirable practice that has been embraced by the KRA.”

An Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife Joseph Nanok had earlier informed the Speaker that he had written to the KRA on Monday this week seeking to determine who the owner of the ghost export company was and that he had not so far received any response.

Kilonzo while on his feet on a point of order said that he had written to the KRA bosses on Monday this week seeking to get information and he had received no reply the following day and he wondered how that information is being availed on request.”IF the government Ministry cannot get information from one of its departments.” was there something fishy or the government is hiding something”

The Ol Kalou MP Erastus Mureithi told parliament that when goods are exported, there are several documents involved and he wondered how that information was not being availed to the MPs.

Meanwhile one of the Nairobi dailies has published a series of articles explaining that wild animal poachers in Kenya have of late identified soft targeting their quest for quick

The STANDARD reported that criminals have identified loopholes in the security operations, which they continue to exploit to their advantage,

The rhino poachers particularly have identified private game sanctuaries as the soft targets perhaps due to their perceived lack of adequate security. The poachers have also not spared elephants to their hunt.

“Ironically, the retired and serving Kenya Wildlife Service {KWS} rangers and other members the disciplined armed forces have been identified as the major threat to the wildlife.” says the report.

The report cited the recent killing of a poacher and the arrest of his colleague at the world famous Ol Pajeta Conservancy in Laikipia East District exposed the rotten side of some KWS officers and other disciplined forces.

One of the poachers was found to have been a former KWS ranger who was highly trained in anti-poaching skills while his colleague was a serving Kenya Army officer.

A sacked KWS identified as Mr Sonko Ole Kaparo was gunned down and Carbine rifle loaded with nine round of 5.5 mm caliber recovered. Also recovered during the 10PM shootout was a pier of plies, three spent cartridges, a mobile phone, suspected poisonous substance and a gunny bag.

The items were recovered from the deceased Ole Kaparo. The captured suspect was identified as one Hassan Heso Sabale from Moyale district in the North Eastern Province.

KWS has since raised alarm over increased attacks in private conservancies, which is scaring the resident communities who participate in wildlife conservation and the private conservancy proprietors.

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Kenya: Government officials in Kenya blames Chinese national working in the country for being responsible for poaching of the elephants and smuggling of the ivory

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

The high number of Chinese national working on various road construction projects are blamed for the increased poaching of elephants and smuggling of ivory out of Kenya.

The alarming increase in smuggling of ivory has raised concerns that elephant poaching is spiraling out of control.

And the officials of the Kenya Wildlife Service {KWS} and conservationists are pointing an accusing finger at the swollen number of Chinese national working in Kenya for the various road construction works at the suspected culprits.

Statistics released to the media early this week by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife show that poaching of elephants is resurging and is being aided by lax in control at points of exports where corrupt government officials are aiding poachers to operate freely.

Environmentalists have warned that it will be just a matter of time before the elephants population in Kenya is wiped out if the government does not step in to stem the illegal trade.

The Kenya Wildlife Service {KWS} Director Julius Kipng’etich was yesterday quoted by one of the dailies {The STANDARD} as saying that the increase in elephant deaths has correlation with the presence of a high number of Chinese construction workers in the country.

He said most of the elephants killed by poachers recently occurred in areas in Samburu and Laikipia Counties, that has private ranches and are close to the Moyale-Isiolo road, which is currently under the construction by a contracted Chinese construction firm.

On of the reasons cited by experts for the failure to achieve to eradicate poaching in Kenya is weak penalties meted out to the offenders. A person caught with Ivory can be fined Kshs 10,000 {USD 112} while in some countries, the same offence leads to a life imprisonment sentence.

Parliament is this week debating on a damn report presented by the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife Dr. Noah Wekesa after parliamentary questions were raised on whether Ivory was now gradually replacing drugs as an illegal source of money for corrupt individuals.

The report presented last week shows that two months ago, 247 elephants tusks valued at Kshs 380 million were exported from Momnbasa by ship to Thailand, but Thais Customs officials seized the consignment.

The Ivory was packed in cartons with customs documents indicating that they were frozen mackerel fish. A day after the report was tabled in Parliament, 100 tusks destined to Nigeria were seized at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Since 2003, poachers have killed 844 elephants in Kenya. Out of this number, 70 were butchered within the first four months of this year. But this number is believed to have risen because of the 100 tusks seized last Friday.

In the case of 247 tusks smuggled out two months ago, the Minister said customs officials at the Kilindini Harbors in the coastal port city of Mombasa.

The Minister wants directors of a clearing agency that facilitated the export to be arrested for aiding as illegality, forgery and falsified of official documents.

The report tabled in Parliament named the clearing agency as a Mr Mhaso as the agent and two of its directors as Edward Mhaso and Frederick Sababu Mngulo..

KWS confirmed that there has been an increase in poaching activities but only outside National Parks, which are well guarded.

Kipng’etich disclosed that he has requested the Commissioner of Police of Police Mathew Iteere to allow his rangers to patrol private ranches in Samburu and Laikipia regions.

THE KWS director blamed the poaching on the increase number of Chinese national presence in the country undertaking various road construction projects in particular the road between the capital Nairobi and Moyale.

“There is a clear link of presence of Chinese national in the country and illegal export of elephant tusks.”.

Whereas the offense is handled as an economic crime and punishable by death in China, Kipng’etich said her our laws are weak since one is only fined Kshs 10,000 {USD 112}.

Kipng’etich called for the amendment of the laws to enhance the punishment saying the move will instill ear in poacher and consequently, eliminate the vice. He added Ivory smugglers chose Kenya as their point of export since it has a robust port as well as an international airport that links them with the world in the region. Questions are now being asked how the Kshs 380 million contraband shipments managed to pass through customs officials at Kilindini Port in Mombasa only for officials in Thailand impound them.

“I am shocked that x-ray machines at the port which should have detected them did not.”said Kipng’etich, adding that they would deploy sniffer dogs at all ports and airports.The KWS director also disclosed that they have requested for Kshs 120 million to purchase surveillance equipment.

According to the Minister’s report, the illegal exportation of the tusks was made easy at the Kilindini Customs, Export section because officials do not maintain dispatch register. Laxity of th Kilindini Customs, Export Processing and Verification officers facilitated the exportation of the prohibited cargo, adds the provisional report on the investigations.

The report shows elephant poaching has been on the rise from 2003, with the number now reaching 844.

According to the report, on March 31,this year, Thailand Customs officials intercepted 247 elephant tusks weighing 2,033 kilogram’s that had been shipment from Kenya.

In 2003, the numbers of 57 elephants were poached 63 in 2004, then 70 in 2005.The number went down to 55 in 2006 and 47 in 2007.

But in 2008, the number rose to 91 and in 2009 to 204. Last year, the number went to 187 while in the first four months of this year, the number of elephants so far poached is 70.

KWS has succeeded in arresting 496 in the last eight years with 10,552 kilograms of ivory having been recovered.

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KENYA: THE MYTH OF THE SNAKE THAT BROUGHT THE MARRIAGE MESSAGE TO A BUDALANGI FAMILY AND THE NEED TO SENSITIZE THE AREA RESIDENTS THAT IT IS THE MOST DEADLY REPTILE.

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DEAR Sir,

This is a note regarding the type of the specie of snake you recently displayed in your paper’s column as being the reptile of “good omen” because it was alleged it had brought the good message in Mundere village, Musanga in Bunyala in Budalangi constituency.

SIR, You and the happy villagers, plus those of the milling crowd which thronged the tiny village made a big blunder. This made a bad joke out of the type of snake which is a potential danger to human beings, armed as it is, with deadly venom. So it was not good message as such.

You should ask any curator of a snake park, or handlers in our national museum of Kenya, and he or she would tell you that the type of the reptile you pictured and printed in you column is the fiercest African Black-Mamba, that is capable of bringing sudden death within only few minutes.

It is not as white as such. Only its underneath is white or brownest, depending on its natural habitat. Its top color is like or semi green like an American Army khaki, and can grow up to between 6 and 8 ft, and move with a lot of speed, that could much be fastest than a human being, especial in the grass area. Its natural habitat is hilly with rocky areas, and most of the time it stays up in the tree and mainly rocky areas.

It is shy on face to face encounters with human beings or domesticated and wild animals, but it could strike twice or thrice of it felt its life is threatened. And its venom takes effect within minutes. It can cause death though blood congestion in the heart and brain hemorrhage.

It is called “Ndemu” in Dho-Luo vernacular and it is the most feared reptile among the tropical African snakes. It is found in areas with humid climate like Bondo, Bundalangi, Samia Hills, Lambwe Valley, Ruri and Gembe hills in Mbita, Gwassi, Kobuya Mawego in East Karachuonyo, Huma hills in west Karachuonyo locations and also in Nyakach South around Anding’o Opanga near Odino or Sondu /Miriu hydro power project. It is also common around Wire hills near Oyugis.

This snake specie is also common in the Nyanza sugar belt areas of Kibos Miwani,and along the Nandi Escarpment, Chemelil Muhoroni,Koru, Fort-Tennan and some parts of Soin and Sigowet Divisions of Belgut and Ainamoi constituencies in the Kericho County. It is also common in Taita Taveta, Loitokotok, Kajiado, Narok and Trans-Mara areas. It is only second to the ever shy Puff-Adder in the recorded deaths caused by snake in many part of Africa.

Anyone who encountered this type of snake should take to his or her heels and flee as fast as possible, because its bite venom could inflict damage and death to a human being within only minutes.

It could have taken refuge on the roof top of Mr Abuoga’s family kitchen due to other factors such as the hut having been disused or due to the recent drought and humid weather that forced reptiles to seek for shelter from the heat. But in future anyone sighting this type of snake should run away from it. It is potential of causing sudden death to even to a huge animal like buffalo or a cow and even an elephant.

Snake experts should move to the snake prone regions and educated the public of the danger and damage to human being that could be caused by the reptiles.

– Leo Odera Omolo, In Kisumu Via e-mail

Kenya: How can Nation Improve her Image abroad?

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Kenyans,

Kenya is a very beautiful country: In Kenya alone we have 43 tribes today, and if you count also Kenyon whites, Asians, Arabs, south Americans, Australians, etc we do have avast number of human natural resources. A wonderful language wealth which is just waiting to be developed by the high IQ holders in the country. On top of this we do have a lot of wild life, birds, lions, elephants etc. Kenya have mountains, rivers, lakes, great rift valley etc. The beauty of our country is beyond describing in this e-mail.

But what sometimes let our country down is the type of advertisements the country put outside Kenya to attract tourists or visitors. Kenya is still blindly copying the types of advertisements the British used to make during colonialism or immediately after Independence. The British used to sell Kenya abroad by showing naked Masais dancing with spears, wild animals and dirty poor Kenyans. I am surprised to see still in some Kenyan foreign embassies full with the old primitive advertisement. For heavenly sake Kenya is not only Masais, or wild animals. In Kenya we do have a lot to show outside, a lot which is still unknown to the Europeans or USA.

Take for example: Europe is now in a financial dilemma, there is no money, universities which used to accommodate African studies are receiving less money than before. A lot of these universities are now cutting down the number of African students. So why can“t our country advertise that in Kenya we do have also universities; you can come to Kenya to learn, not only to see elephants or Masais. Kenya can tap a lot of education funds from European or USA students. Through those funds and a vast majority of foreign students; our country can gain a lot including even the brain drain from Europe. We can expand our universities far much beyond the horizon and above.

We Kenyans should bring change to make visitors come to see also the other 42 tribes in Kenya too.

Paul Nyandoto

KENYA: CATTLE RAIDERS KILLS POLICE OFFICER.

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By Agwanda Powerman.

A retired police officer was killed and scores injured in Upper Nyakach division in Nyakach district after a night of terror by cattle rustlers.

Mr James Agumba had ventured in to the darkness to check the alarm raised by the barking doors only to land on the raiders who shot him several times with arrows before slashing him.

He died at the Nyabondo hospital where three other people were being treated for arrow wounds.

According to a neighbour, Mr Tom Otieno, the raiders had attempted to steal from several homes and had been repulsed.

He said “Mr Agumba does not keep cows and therefore the only reason he was attacked was because they he stood in the way of the raiders.

And area deputy police boss Mr Wilson Abduba admitted that the police in the area did not have the capacity to wipe out the menace that has made cattle raring an invite to death in the Nyabondo plateau.

He said “We are trying to track down the people but the area is too vast, Our officers did not move fast because they did not have a vehicle at Ogoro police station”.

Mr Abduba said that the raiders had been repulsed from Kajimbo village only to move in to Nyabondo area to rein terror on the residents.

Early in the year, two boys were killed by the raiders as they walked home from a local market in the evening. Although police had said that then they would beef up security, yesterdays events have left the residents in protest.

Residents of the area armed themselves to combat the raiders but the police in the area warned them against taking the law in to their own hands.

The cattle rustling menace has persisted in Nyakach district despite assurances the police that they were in control. Several families interviewed said that they had been forced to dispose of the animals for fear of

Kenya and Tanzania in a joint wildlife census to determine the number of animals

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KENYA AND TANZANIA IN JOINT WILDLIFE CENSUS ON LARGE HERBIVOROUS ANIMALS TO DETERMINED THE NUMBER OF BIG GAMES IN THEIR RESPECTIVENATIONAL PARKS.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

DESPITE their divergent opinion about the future of ivory trade, Kenya and Tanzania have come together for a joint aerial wildlife census.

The cross border count will assess the impact of last year’s prolonged drought in the greater Amboseli ecosystem, besides generating information that will be used to plan and streamline management of parks in the two countries.

The census exercise brought together 50 officials, from the pilot and Geographic Information System {GIS} experts, to data entry clerks and technical observers. Kenya funded it to the tune of USD 42,763.

Kenya Wildlife Service monitoring and biodiversity information manager, Erustus Kanga told newsmen that the operation targeted large herbivorous mammals, from the size of gazelles and above, including elephants, elands, giraffes and buffaloes.

The team crisscrossed the Amboseli ecosystem that spans 6,000 square kilometers, including the Amboseli National Park and the surrounding community ranches, Nguruman-Magadi as well as the West Kilimanjaro region up to Lake Natron in Tanzania.

Amboseli is among the areas that have been hard hit by prolonged drought over the past two years, leading to massive deaths of zebra, wildebeest, elephant, buffaloes as well as livestock from the local communities.

The census come barely a fortnight to the decisive Doha meeting, where the two countries are expected to face off as a decision is made by parties in the Convention Trade on Endangered Species {Sites} on whether to allow Ivory trade or not.

Tanzania and Zambia have applied to be allowed to sell off their ivory stocks, a development that Kenya is vehemently opposed to.

Among the sticking points in the row are complaints by Kenya authorities that they were not consulted by their neighbors before they made the bid.

Mr Kanga insisted that the difference between the different opinions did not affect relations between wildlife managers from the two countries during the operation.

During the operation, the two countries established co-operational bases on either sides of the common border.

While KWS, which partnered with African Wildlife Foundation and Amboseli National park, the Tanzania National Parks operated from Kilimanjaro National Park.

This is the first time that the two countries are collaborating on the census.

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com