Balala suspends six KWS officers over rhino deaths

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has been suspended six Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers over the death of 10 black rhinos at Tsavo East Park sanctuary through negligence.

Balala, on Thursday blamed negligence by conservation officers for the dead of the endangered black rhinos in a bungled relocation last month from Nairobi and Lake Nakuru national parks to Tsavo.

He also demoted Director-General Julius Kimani, replacing him with Dr. Charles Musyoki in an acting capacity

Dr. Musyoki had been the Principal of the KWS Training Institute.

"According to the inquiry team, the cause of all the deaths was multiple stress syndrome intensified by salt poisoning and complicated by the following conditions. : "dehydration, starvation, proliferation of opportunistic bacteria in the upper respiratory tract, gastric ulcers and gastritis," Mr Balala said.

"The independent inquiry further How do you know that you are in a situation where you can not see what you are doing? "

Those suspended are KWS deputy director of biodiversity, Research and Monitoring Samuel Kasiki, Dr. Francis Gakuya (head of veterinary services) and Isaac Leekolol (head of capture services).

Also suspended are Felix Mwangangi, the senior warden of Tsavo East, Dr. Mohammed Omar who is KWS's head of ecological monitoring, and Mr. Fredrick Odock Lala, senior scientist Tsavo East National Park.

The 11th rhino is in critical condition and could also be attacked by lions.

Kenya had a rhino population of 1,258 in 2017 of which 745 are black rhinos, are grown rhinos, and have grown up from less than 400 rhinos in the 1980s.

In May, three black rhinos were killed in Kenya's Meru National Park.

Poaching has risen in recent years across Sub-Saharan Africa where armed criminal gangs have killed elephants for tusks rhinos for horns.