Campaign to Boycott Kenyan Tourism as Tourists Sue Government Over Lions Killings

A campaign to boycott tourism in Kenya has started with a section of international tourists signing an online petition.

Alejandro Mora initiated the petition following the killing of a famous lion, Olobor, in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. At least 2,609 people have signed the petition.

Mora in the online campaign, urges other tourists to boycott all Kenyan tourism, claiming the authorities have done nothing to arrest and imprison those behind the killing of the famous lion.

Mora claims the killings of the lions continue, and the Kenya Wildlife Service has done nothing to arrest the culprits.

“The authorities have done nothing to arrest and imprison persons who murdered Olobor the lion. We cannot allow the lions of Kenya to continue to be murdered anymore and the wildlife service does nothing,” stated Mora in the petition.

‘Olobor’ is alleged to have been killed by pastoralists

‘Olobor’ from the ‘Black Rock Pride’ in Maasai Mara National Reserve is alleged to have been killed by pastoralists. The ‘Black Rock Pride’ is one of the most documented and studied Lion Pride in Maasai Mara and Africa. Their territory spans more than 60 kilometers, touching Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

KWS on February 12, 2024, in a press release, said they will provide an accurate account of the lion when they establish the facts. It added that a team from the intelligence and investigations had responded by visiting the area but no evidence or information was gathered to prove the alleged killings.

Even as the signing of the petition continues, Luis Franco, an American lion enthusiast has sued the Kenyan authorities over the continued killings of lions in the reserve. Franco through lawyer David Kipruto filed the suit at the Environment and Lands Court in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Kenya Wildlife Service, Tourism Minister, and the Attorney General have been named by Franco as respondents in the case.

Franco claims KWS has failed to fulfill its mandate and duty under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, of 2013. He stated that the killing of Olobor is not an isolated incident as two other famous lions of the Mara Logol’ and ‘Half-Tail’ of the Mash pride and ‘Nyekundo’ of the Enkoyanai lion Coalition have been killed by pastoralists.

KWS has failed to retrieve the remains of Olobor

He claims KWS has failed to retrieve the remains of Olobor and accord him a deserving rest and recognition.

Franco said there are gross violations of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013, specifically about the conservation and protection of wildlife within National Parks and Reserves under the purview of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

The targeted killings of lions within the confines of protected areas by pastoralists, he said, constitute obvious wrongdoings against the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, of 2013. Pastoralists herding their livestock in the park he said are the ones involved in the killings and the court should intervene.

He said Tourism CS and KWS should be ordered to retrieve the remains of Olobor and accord it proper national recognition and burial within the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

KWS he said should also be compelled to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing of the lion and to provide a comprehensive report to the court.

The court he said should declare unconstitutional the sections of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013 permitting professional hunting and game licensing.

The court he said should consider issuing an order directing KWS to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to develop and implement comprehensive strategies for mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and ensuring the sustainable coexistence of humans and wildlife in protected areas.

The Attorney General he said should also be compelled to provide legal guidance and support to KWS in fulfilling its statutory obligations and enforcing wildlife conservation laws.

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