Kenya's conservationists set to launch alliance to protect wildlife

 More than 50 conservation organizations are set to launch an alliance next week to help tackle challenges facing wildlife in the country.

The Conservation Alliance of Kenya (CAK) will usher into a new era of collaboration on wildlife and biodiversity issues in Kenya's private sector.

"Representing over 90 percent of the Conservation NGOs in the country, the Alliance will be working closely with different groups to ensure conservation of Kenya's natural heritage is made a priority as decisions are taken," CAK said in the statement issued in Nairobi on Sunday.

The launch of an umbrella body of wildlife conservationists comes at a time when poaching and wildlife crimes have surged in the recent past.

A week hardly passes without suspects being arrested with ivory and other wildlife trophies.

In recent weeks and months the country has dealt with lions roaming the city, continued pressure on important wildlife areas, cases of trafficking of wildlife products through the country and growing disenchantment with animals by communities.

"These are all critical issues that the Alliance hopes to assist the government and the public to handle," CAK chairman Steve Itela said.

Itela said the Conservation Alliance of Kenya will be the voice of conservation NGOs country-wide, working to advance the protection and management of biodiversity in Kenya.

He noted that individual conservation organisations have for decades contributed heavily to conservation development programs, research into the country's natural assets and capital, community and livelihoods and fighting wildlife crime.

"Now home to many of the world's experts on wildlife, the Conservation Alliance of Kenya aims to collectively be at the forefront of setting the national agenda," Itela added.