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Kenya: Wild Animals in Kenya Museums Face Starvation

Published

5 years ago

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The restrictions on movement of people due to the Covid-19 pandemic have seen fewer people visiting Kenya’s parks and the National Museums of Kenya, resulting in reduced earnings from gate collections.

Now the animals under the care of the of National Museums of Kenya(NMK) risk starvation, as the gate collection of about $300,000 per month that were used to cater for their food and general upkeep has dried up.

Besides feeding the animals, the gate collections are also used for daily running of the institutions including paying utility bills and contracted services such as cleaning, security and fuel.

NMK Director-General Mzalendo Kibunjia told The EastAfrican that he has reached out to the National Treasury for a bailout.

“NMK could be the first government agency directly affected by the Covid-19, and it is our hope that the government will act quickly.

“These animals are a major feature of our attractions, besides the rich cultural heritage collections that we have,” he said.

Before the outbreak, NMK was receiving thousands of visitors per day at their various institutions countrywide that included school and college students as well as tourists.

NMK charges $3 per Kenyan adult and $1.5 per Kenyan child. East Africans are charged $8, and tourists from other parts of the world pay $15.

The Treasury allocates funds to the institution in the annual budget and pays the NMK staff directly.

However, the institution is required to lobby for funding from the donor community and other rich museums across the world to cater for their programmes.