The National Wildlife Conservation and Management Policy.

The Wildlife Conservation and Management Policy is a national policy with cross-sectoral approach. The goal of this policy is the sustainable management of Kenya’s wildlife resources through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area - based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes in order to provide for the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations; contribute to the sustainable development of the country; and enhance the quality of human life.
To this end, the policy focuses on developing a coordinated framework for wildlife management taking into account other sectoral policies and the roles of various agencies; conserving wildlife resources in national parks, national reserves and national sanctuaries in an effective and equitable manner; ensuring maintenance and enhancement of ecological integrity of wildlife and their habitats through the integration of private and community lands into protected area systems; harnessing the contribution of wildlife resources into the national economy and enhancing the benefits to all; and enhancing policy implementation through participatory planning, research, knowledge management and capacity building.
Poverty reduction will be achieved through increased revenue from the tourism sector, which will grow due to the sustainable use of wildlife resources. To harness the contribution of wildlife to the national economy for national development, the government will: designate wildlife as a strategic resource and allocate adequate funding from the national budget for sustainable conservation and management of this natural capital through the consolidated fund; promote retention of benefits generated from wildlife utilization for the purpose of developing and management of conservation areas; establish and manage a wildlife endowment fund to promote wildlife conservation and management; Promote wildlife based public private partnerships to enhance income generation and improvement of livelihood in the rural areas; Promote sustainable consumptive and non-consumptive utilization of wildlife resources; Promote wildlife farming and ranching as an agricultural activity; develop and harmonize mechanisms for determining conservation fees to be charged for protected area access; develop economic modalities for appropriate economic instruments, including payment of ecosystem services (PES), to support the conservation of important wildlife areas (habitats, dispersal, migratory routes); Promote the use of recreational resources including rock climbing, hiking and bird watching; and ensure an economic valuation of all wildlife resources in Kenya for inclusion into the national income accounting for better planning and national development. The involvement of women, youth and people with disabilities will be achieved through inclusion activities, development of mechanisms for collaborative engagement, and awareness activities.
Monitoring, evaluation, reporting and review will be integral parts of the policy implementation and management. To achieve this objective, the Government, and all relevant stakeholders, shall: a. develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the implementation progress of the policy; b. ensure that participatory monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of implementation of the National Wildlife Conservation and Management Policy is coordinated by an independent inter-sectoral committee.