Advancements In The Prosecution Of Wildlife Crimes: What Can We Learn From The Kenyan Experience?

The study examines how the prosecution of wildlife crimes has changed over time in Kenya. Specifically, the research analyzed impacts the Wildlife and Conservation Management Act, 2013, and the Wildlife Crimes Prosecution Unit of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions have had, and international cooperation tools utilized by the Wildlife Crimes Prosecution Unit to pursue transnational wildlife crime cases. This research utilizes a mixed method approach. The researcher collected primary data on the prosecutions of wildlife crimes and carried out unstructured interviews with senior officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations. The researcher adopts the deterrence theory as the theoretical framework in this study. The research finds that the Wildlife and Conservation Management Act, 2013, and the Wildlife Crimes Prosecution Unit has had measurable and positive impact, proving that a shift has taken place in Kenya, whereby wildlife crimes are responded to in courts of law. The research attributes this to many factors which are discussed in this research. This research also identifies international cooperation tools and lessons learnt by the Wildlife Crimes Prosecution Unit for prosecuting transnational wildlife crime cases.