The final outcome of this research highlights and discusses the immediate actions that can be taken in the short run through taking advantage of institutions and international regulations already existing. While this research is anchored on the results from the data, there are other important antecedent observations that have been discussed that touch on the strength and weakness of various national, regional and international organizations and government institutions involved in combating wildlife crime including laws, policies and agreements in international treaties that have been identified through this research as mechanisms and tools that can be harnessed to effectively combat wildlife crime immediately and reform the wildlife sector These will be discussed here as the final outcomes and recommendations of this research:
1)Dismantling the wildlife trophies markets: Although CoP17 deliberated and adopt various resolutions including CoP17 Doc.57.3 on the implementation of Res. Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP16) on trade in elephant specimens and closure of domestic markets dealing in elephant ivory, actions to combat wildlife trafficking and ivory stockpiles and made recommendation to close domestic markets for commercial trade in raw and worked ivory as a matter of urgency, however in some like CoP17 Doc 27, CoP17 Doc.47, members directed the Secretariat: to contract independent consultant(s) to undertake studies of domestic which is ongoing. Kenya, the EU, the USA and all other nations that voted against allowing the sale should carry out their own independent studies, considering the MIKE report by the secretariat. All countries should follow Kenya’s example and destroy their stock piles.
2)There is a need for the African Union and conservationists immediately liaise with the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. In September 2016 the ICC office of the Prosecutor announced it would give particular consideration to crimes involving destruction of the environment and the illegal exploitation of natural resources. Wildlife crime is illegal exploitation of natural resources. The ICC has been a very effective court in taming dictatorships in the third world.
3)There is a need to give the voiceless a voice. The animals need a person or committee to champion their cause including in law enforcement. There is a need for an Office of a Wildlife Ombudsman to be formed handling wildlife law enforcement issues other than the KWS in Kenya
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and within the African Union office as a part of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) as wildlife is equally affected during conflicts.
4)Using modern technology like creating mobile phone applications that enables members of the public and KWS officials to report incidences involving combating wildlife crime This will “shine the torch” on inefficiency and corruption on the concerned government office.
5)Wildlife cyber-crime is a part of wildlife trafficking that is carried out on the internet sales platforms. Wildlife trafficking is an essential ingredient in the execution of wildlife crime especially in Africa where illegal wildlife trophies are exported from the continent to consumer markets in other continents. Wildlife cyber-crime is an emerging crime and laws and regulations are currently being enacted at the international and local levels to adequately cover this crime that is borderless
6)The governments in east and central Africa should invest in modern technology like military drones to patrol and carry out surveillance recording in all parks. There should also be a rapid deployable force on standby when the drones command station reports any unusual activity anywhere in the park. This type of surveillance will save the governments resources in terms of manpower and vehicles required to patrol the parks. It will also save lives of warders as the drone command station will be able to analysis the type of threat on the ground and advice the deploying force on what to expect and the force will be better prepared.
7)The governments in east and central Africa must invest in research and research based reports on not just wildlife matters but all other important national issues. The current trend of government officials preparing reports from their office which are then used as a basis for informing policy creation and guidelines on important international and national matters has had devastating and embarrassing outcomes with accusations of plagiarism being levelled. More often such reports are out dated and not meant for the required purpose or place. Investing in professionals as consultants to guide a process like policies on wildlife laws and policies would ultimately save resources and time.
8)Conservationists, NGO’s and other civil society organizations involved in wildlife sector must up their game and make an effort to increase membership from citizens from within east and central African countries. Organization like the RSPB in the UK has over a million members. It is a very powerful organization funded by its members and influences policy decisions involving animal welfare. It is not difficult to attract a large membership drive. All that is required for that is just accountability and effectiveness in protecting wildlife. No government would not take into
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consideration a proposed policy or regulation put forward by an organization with 1 million members. According to Abbot and Lee, historically, regulation has been perceived as a largely state-
centered activity, with good reason. But it is also been recognized at all levels of governance that private (non-state and non-EU) actors, composed of economic actors and other ‘civil actors’ such as NGOs hold resources that, if harnessed appropriately, can make a valuable contribution to the regulatory process (Abbott et al 2015).
9)Communities can use the Internet social media platforms to combat wildlife crime. The Communities neighboring the parks and the Global Community are both very important in combating wildlife crime. The global community should take advantage of the availability of social media and keep viewing and logging in into sites that deal with combating wildlife crime. The communities neighboring the parks should take pictures and videos of any unusual happenings in the park and post them on social media platforms. If such posting can attract viewers or hits in the millions of people viewing globally and making comments, that kind of attention will prompt governments and international organizations into action in curbing wildlife crime. Social media brought down undemocratic Kingdoms and governments in the Arab spring. It can also bring down wildlife crime. The global community can therefore make a difference by viewing such posts which is a small but very effective contribution to curbing wildlife crime.
10) Communities neighboring the parks must play a more active role in the management of wildlife resources and their habitats. This alluded chapter 2 of this thesis. This thesis proposes amendment of the current the WCMA (2013) to include elected leaders of communities neighboring parks in the active management of the parks including sitting in the Board of Trustees of KWS. Currently in the UK, Police and crime commissioners (PCC) are being elected by citizens to make sure that local police meet the needs of the community. (gov.uk, 2017).
11) Privatization of the parks through conversion of their ownership and management to public limited companies with global shareholding and listing in large stock markets and bourses globally including in China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchange is a possibility that requires to be explored. Sense of ownership of something invokes a natural sense of protectionism of the item in humans thereby giving combating wildlife crime at the global stage a much needed boost by introducing a new group of actors who are also the global owners, protecting their investments by combating wildlife crime at the consumer markets. This is an idea whose time has come but requires further research as we must be alive to the recognition of sovereignty of a nation and current sensitivity to immigration issues globally.
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One of the aims of this research is to promote synergy among all stakeholders and harness resources from private sector as allies of the state in this war against wildlife criminals. Through following this recommendation, Kenya and Africa can achieve that aim at an international scale thereby making the best use of their wildlife resources.
In conclusion, wildlife crime is a global scourge and dealing with the problem in the source countries will not win the battle but can only slow the slaughter of wildlife for a time. Although currently there has been a remarkable slowdown of the crime in Africa due to global attention and outcry, but shockingly the criminals seem to have moved to Europe. They on 6 March 2017 entered Thoiry Zoo in Paris and shot dead a Rhino named Vince and made off with its horn (CNN news 2017). Wildlife is an international heritage and lose of wildlife in Kenya or in France is loss to the global community.
It is hoped that the utilization of wildlife crime curbing mechanisms proposed within the 3Cs concept in this research thesis and the crime facilitating crime theory as well as all solutions and recommendations made in the thesis can be effectively applied by governments and interested parties in curbing wildlife crime. This research thesis therefore provides a new road map for Africa and to the global community on the future strategies and tactics that need to be applied in combating wildlife crime This thesis is therefore expected to influence major policy decisions at both domestic/national and international levels of governments and international organizations through the proposed ‘3Cs concept’ and toolkit which will create a much need paradigm shift in this area and a New Normal method of combating not just wildlife crime but all crime.
The final outcome of this research is also expected to introduce a new dimension to the current academic debate and thinking on combating not only wildlife crime, but all crime at both domestic and international levels through applying and expounding further on the Crime facilitating Crime Theory by carrying out further research in its application to all crime and its impact on criminal law and criminology. Further research is also needed on the proposed rule of Asymmetry made in this research for improvement of public management of CJS institutions.
Having identified the challenges of combating wildlife crime in Kenya and having created solutions for those challenges through this research, the next stage is the implementation stage. The strategy and methodology of implementing the 3Cs concept is already provided in the 3Cs tool kit in this research thesis. All it requires is just activation. This activation of the 3Cs tool kit is the surest way of permanently eliminating wildlife crime and saving the charismatic 5 animals. Their numbers are
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already depleted to an all-time low. Will they survive the continued upsurge in the levels of poaching for their trophies? Will the global citizens sit back and watch the extinction of these iconic wildlife species and subsequent destruction of a globally important ecological and bio-diversity system and biome in Africa at the hands of international criminals? There is a small window of hope open. It is in the implementation of the 3Cs concept, all the solutions, recommendations and proposals made through this Research Thesis.