Wildlife conservation faces several challenges globally, and Kenya is no exception. This has further been exacerbated by the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. Specific challenges to conservation include escalating poaching, inadequate financing for operations, increased human wildlife conflict, insufficient number of security personnel, encroachment on wildlife corridors and dispersal areas due to human population growth, and aging protected areas infrastructure. In September 2018, USAID awarded Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) a five-year grant to support the Combating Wildlife Crime in Kenya program. An organizational risk assessment of KWS found out that while KWS has the necessary operational procedures, there is an urgent need for support of legal, financial, human resource, performance management, and sustainability to strengthen the current operational network. The program was developed to respond to the risk assessment and challenges in combating wildlife crime in Kenya.
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