Save Amboseli Update - 1st December
On 30th November, we had yet another Mention in the Amboseli
court case. This time we converged in chamber No. 23 before
Justice Matthew Anyara Emukule. For the first time since the
matter went to court, the Attorney General's office, acting
for the Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, was represented.
They made their argument and asked for more time to look into
the matter. They cited the current political situation in Kenya
and the fact that there is no Cabinet operational at the moment.
They were all dismissed by President Kibaki last week following
the outcome of the referendum that saw 56% of Kenya reject the
proposed new Constitution. So another Mention date was set for
the 7th of February 2006 and we have to wait till then before
we know for certain when a Hearing date will be set.
However disappointing it might be, it’s not surprising
that the judge agreed to another Mention despite the resistance
of other parties, including our lawyer. Without a Minister in
place, the AG's office will not be able to seek the relevant
affidavits. The judge further agreed that it was important to
give the next Minister a reasonable amount of time to be briefed
on the matter and to consult.
It’s also important to note that Dr Richard Leakey, twice
a Director of the KWS and also a former head of the Civil Service,
has spoken out again against the downgrading of Amboseli. At
a meeting in Nairobi yesterday on elephant poaching and illegal
ivory trade, he told the Government that it was a mistake to
take Amboseli away from KWS management. He also confirmed that
he had recently gone for talks with President Kibaki at State
House. We can only hope that he took the opportunity to steer
the President towards the right path on a matter like Amboseli,
where he is well-positioned to have influence.
Will Travers