By Adan Mohamed Shabure
It is concerning that Mandera County has been excluded from the ongoing National Wildlife Census led by the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), despite its inclusion in the first national census in 2021.
This is not merely an omission, it is a deliberate erasure of Mandera’s ecological significance and a betrayal of the region’s right to recognition, funding, and protection.
Mandera is home to Malkamari National Park, the only gazetted national park in Northeastern Kenya. It has been poorly managed, neglected, and plagued by insecurity and underfunding. These challenges are precisely why they must be counted, not ignored.
Excluding Mandera carries serious long-term consequences:
- Wildlife policies will overlook Mandera entirely. Without data, the region has no voice in national or regional planning.
- Lack of visibility leads to no funding. Development partners, donors, and government rely on data for investment.
- Tourism potential is erased. Malkamari could become a cross-border eco-tourism hub linking Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, but without recognition, this vision remains unrealized.
- Community conservation efforts are undermined. Without state acknowledgement, building support is nearly impossible.
- Exclusion deepens marginalization. If a gazetted park can be ignored, what message does this send to Mandera’s people?
We urge Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif, Mandera MPs, Senators, MCAs, and all Northeastern Kenya leaders to immediately raise this issue with Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya Kihoro, WRTI, and the KWS Director General to demand why Mandera’s wildlife census was omitted at the last minute. This count is incomplete without Mandera. Kenya is incomplete without Northeastern Kenya.
Include Mandera or cancel the census. No data, no justice. No conservation without inclusion.
