By Eric Akasa
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Monday August 13, 2012 commissioned
the construction of a Ksh. 60 million wildlife forensic
and genetics laboratory at its headquarters in Nairobi.
This
is a major boost to the overall mandate of KWS in conservation and management
of wildlife in Kenya.
Illegal poaching for wildlife trophies and bush meat is a
pervasive and extremely serious conservation problem facing wildlife in Kenya
today. Despite strong intelligence and investigatory capacities by KWS, there
has always been a challenge of having strong legal evidence in courts to
convict suspects arrested for committing these crimes. By establishing a
forensic and genetics laboratory that will employ modern DNA technology, this
challenge will be surmounted because it will be possible to connect exhibits
(wildlife trophies and bush meat) to specific poaching incidents. The
laboratory will in addition help in tracking genetic status of declining
wildlife populations as well as determine isolated and special gene pools that
require special protection. It will also enhance disease diagnosis,
surveillance and monitoring in wildlife populations.
The facility that is supported by donors from various parts of the world
is expected to be constructed at an estimated cost of Ksh110 million and will
comply with standards established by the Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS).
In addition any special requirements established by the Judiciary, Ministry of
Justice, national Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs and by the International
Laboratory Accredit Cooperation (ILAC) Guidance for Forensic Science
Laboratories will be met.
KWS
already has qualified laboratory personnel to run the laboratory and an
established prosecution prosecutorial authority required for bringing cases
to court. However, a team of technical staff will undergo a further rigorous
forensic training; those skills will be taught at the DNA
forensic analysis laboratory, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. This is a world re-owned molecular lab that deals with
wildlife forensics and conducts all DNA forensic analysis required by the
Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Other trainings will be conducted at the
Smithsonian Institute, USA.
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