Virginia Wahome, a Senior Community Liaison Officer with the Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF), has been appointed chairperson for the County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee (CWCCC) – Laikipia County. CWCCC is set to benefit from Virginia’s wealth of experience that includes fifteen years of active duty addressing human wildlife issues with Laikipia Wildlife Forum.
LWF has a vibrant wildlife program and enjoys tremendous goodwill from National, County as well as international governments as a direct result for the organizations exceptional work in the diverse areas of conservation. Virginia still retains her position with LWF and plans to spearhead CWCCC’s agenda, expanding its portfolio to fit in with multiple key organizational strategies such as that of LWF. “I am really looking forward to working with the various fence committees in planned capacity building exercises. Many local communities today still think that it is impossible to co-exist peacefully with wildlife, but we are here to help change this thinking so as to allow them to play an active role in conservation as well as understand various laws that have been put into place regarding wildlife and conservation” says Virginia.
The Wildlife Conservation and Management Act of 2013 which came into effect on 10January 2014 provides for a County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee (CWCCC) in each of the forty seven (47) Counties as well as a Chairperson who is appointed through a competitive process for each respective CWCCC.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CWCCC ARE TO:
- Implement the registration and establishment of wildlife user rights;
- Oversee the preparation and implementation of management plans on community and private land;
- Ensure distribution of benefits derived from the use of wildlife resources;
- Bring together all relevant stakeholders within the county to actively harness their participation in the planning and implementation of projects and programmes related to the protection, conservation and management of wildlife resources in the county;
- Review and make appropriate recommendations on ecosystem based management plans produced by the Service;
- Participate at the county level in land use planning initiatives and in consultation with all relevant stakeholders with particular regard to critical wildlife habitats, corridors and dispersal areas for the better management and conservation of wildlife;
- Monitor the implementation of management plans for any relevant national park in collaboration with the Service;
- Develop and implement, in collaboration with community wildlife associations, mechanisms for mitigation of human wildlife conflict;
- Review and recommend claims resulting from loss or damage caused by wildlife for payment of compensation;
- Undertake education, extension services and public awareness; and
- Perform such other functions as the Service may require or delegate to it.
