Kasane,BOTSWANA: Kenya has signed a petition seeking to compel the EU to ban the trade in Ivory.
This is according to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Forestry Keriako Tobiko.
Tobiko who was speaking during the opening ceremony for the Giants club summit in Botswana’s tourist city of Kasane on Friday said Kenya was among the first countries to sign the avaaz run petition.
“I signed the petition on behalf of the president, “ Tobiko said on Friday.
Tobiko’s remarks came just a few minutes after the Botswana president Ian Seretse Khama publicly signed the petition seeking 1 million signatures, joining African presidents such as the Gabon president Ali Bongo Odimba and Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni who have signed the petition.
According to the international fund for animal welfare, between 2005 and 2015, the EU countries were by far the largest exporters of ivory products with 28.3% of the total ivory product just ahead of the US and South Africa.
The research also indicated that most of the exports landed in China which earlier in the year closed its domestic ivory market.
Keriako was representing president Uhuru Kenyatta at the 2nd Giants club summit which president Uhuru Kenyatta supports.
The inaugural summit of the giants club which was held in Laikipia, Kenya in 2016.
The summit seeks to address the survival of African elephants by addressing issues such as poaching and loss of habitat.
Four African presidents from countries with the highest remaining populations ie Gabon, Botswana, Uganda, and Kenya are members of the giants club which is run by charity organization space for giants.
