BWPK Progress Review

National Project Committee (NPC) for Barcode of Wildlife Project Kenya (BWPK) held crucial meeting to review progress of Phase II of the Project.

Above: The Co-chairs of BWPK Mr. Patrick Omondi of Kenya Wildlife Service (l) and Dr Beatrice Khayota of National Museums of Kenya (r) highlighted that the ultimate goal for the project is to bridge the gap between conservation genetics and law enforcement, and that the Project should act as a bond that links critical institutions in aim to achieve this very goal.

Members of NPC during a brainstorming and progress review session of the project. The meeting was held at the Institute of Primate Research, an arm of the National Museums of Kenya.

Since its inception, the project has achieved some milestones some of which include Linkages Between Prosecution and Wildlife DNA-based Forensics workshop, assembling of Fundraising Brochure for KWS's New Molecular Biology Lab, Legal Standards and Forensics Workshop, and Legal standards Forensic Evidence Workshop; a critical workshop that addressed the reasons why wildlife law enforcement officers for a long time have lost legal battles in court due insufficient evidence. More importantly, the project held Field and Lab Management Information Systems Barcoding Workshops. Both Field Information Managements Systems and Laboratory Information Managements Systems are critical in the success of the barcode project, and enhances collaboration with other countries involved in the project.