KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE DNA FORENSIC LABORATORY

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is in the final stages of establishing a DNA Forensic laboratory to fight the escalating crisis of wildlife poach­ing and aid in the effective prosecution of poachers. The poaching situation in Kenya has risen and is now arguably the greatest threat to biodiversity in the country. The technology is expected to build up our capacity to deal with this taunting menace through support to all ongoing poaching and illicit trade investigations.

The Forensic laboratory will be fully outfitted with specifically tailored workflows to enable us take DNA samples from wildlife carcasses, crime scenes, and match them with the seized ivory, horns and illegal bush meat from smugglers and poachers. KWS believes that through the use of world-class life sciences tools, capabilities and processes, Kenya will leapfrog older crime fighting techniques to enhance the capabilities of KWS Law enforcement division to protect our biodiver­sity. The laboratory will enable our continent to fight against poaching and offer services for all African countries especially those in the East and Central regions that are battling this new, dangerous and bloody trade. 

WILDLIFE DNA FORENSICS

Wildlife DNA forensics is an applied field that has emerged from a synthesis of conservation genetic research and forensic genetic prac­tice to meet the increasing need for investigative tools in wildlife law enforcement. The forensic laboratory is primarily aimed at address­ing four key investigative questions relating to the identification of wildlife evidence:

1) What species is it?

2) Where did it come from?

3) Who did it?

4) Was it a captive bred? 

The laboratory will enable Kenya Wildlife Service to answer these four vital questions beyond any reasonable doubt. Answering these questions will help in the prosecution of poachers and deterrence of this vice in line with the new wildlife bill 2013. Wildlife DNA forensics is now becoming the key investigative tool to combat wildlife crime as national and international legislation is developed to protect wild­life. The way the DNA evidence is generated and presented in court is important to secure convictions. 

There are two paramount issues regarding wildlife forensics and the successful prosecution of wildlife crimes:

• The ability to identify the particular species of origin of an evidence item.

• The ability to determine whether the biological material can be assigned with confidence to a particular individual member of that species. 

HOW WILL THE WILDLIFE DNA FORENSIC LAB WORK?

The overall processes and specification for the laboratory will be based on those used in human DNA forensics. This includes the spa­tial organization and equipment required for laboratory, as well as the protocols controlling all aspects of forensic analysis from sample receipt to reporting results. The laboratory will operate under in­ternational standards published by the Scientific Working Group for Wildlife Forensic Sciences and forensic scientists will work towards individual accreditation under the Society for Wildlife Forensic Sci­ences certification scheme. 

Samples received at the laboratory will be recorded, analyzed and stored, with the resulting data interpreted in the context of the case and reported to the relevant authorities. The principle techniques employed will be DNA sequencing, used predominantly for species identification, and DNA profiling, used for individual and parentage determination, or geographic traceability where possible.

THE EXPECTED BENEFITS OF KWS FORENSICS LABORATORY

Several critical benefits will arise from the establishment of the DNA Forensics Lab:

1) Reliable identification of wildlife and wildlife products that will enhance prosecution and convictions of wildlife crime case.

2) Increased convictions of wildlife crime cases will deter offenders and reduce the rate of illegal harvest of wildlife and its product.

3) Establishment of a database of species genetic markers that will aid in quick reliable identification of wildlife and wildlife products.

4) Established platform that will be one of its kind in the entire East and Central Africa, hence it will serve the entire region towards curbing wildlife countries.

5) Assist in the certification or licensing for export of products whose provenance is suspect e.g. ornaments made from animal products, for business or research. This will curb illegal exploitation of our biodiversity and genetic resources. 

In addition, since Kenya is a hub for international flights, smuggled wildlife and or wildlife products are frequently confiscated at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The established forensic laboratory will aid the identification and possible source of products. The forensic laboratory will be the only platform for enhancing wild­life genetics research on the continent. 

The laboratory will interface with wildlife enforcement officers (KWS, police, and customs) in order to ad­vise on the availability of forensic tools and the collection, storage and transfer of biological evidence.

Evidence received at the laboratory will be analyzed under forensic con­ditions to address the investigative questions relevant to the case.

Forensic DNA evidence will be re­ported by the laboratory, where nec­essary as a witness statement, Crime scene investigation, Evidence transfer Evidence collection, DNA analysis Interpretation & reporting, Prosecution, KWS lab processes Forensic processes, and Wildlife Crime DNA recovery.