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The 2009 Eco Warrior Finalists Awarded

Article by Ecotourism Kenya

2009 Eco-warrior Award Winners

1.      Tourist Accommodation Facilities:

Porini Camps

There are four Porini Camps in Kenya, two in the Mara, one in Amboseli and one in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. These are low-impact tourist accommodation facilities that have won recognition for responsible tourism, with three of them being Silver Eco-rated by Ecotourism Kenya. This award is to recognize Porini Camps for championing formation of wildlife conservancies to provide additional dispersal areas for wildlife in Kenya. By getting park-adjacent communities to put together individual plots of land and set these aside for wildlife, there is now more than 40,000 acres of additional land available for wildlife in Kenya, courtesy of the Porini Camps.  Additionally, more than 500 families are now benefiting as a result of these conservancies.

2.      Individuals:

Hon. Najib Balala, EGH

From 1998 when he worked at the Municipal Council of Mombasa to date, as the minister for tourism, Hon. Najib Balala has demonstrated a consistent concern for environmental conservation and responsible tourism. And he has been duly recognized for this, with his latest commendation being when he was named the 2009 African Tourism Minister earlier this year. This award is to recognize Hon. Najib Balala for providing exemplary leadership in the tourism industry in Kenya including the recovery efforts after the post-election crisis.  

Allan Earnshaw

Alan Earnshaw is the chairman of Kenya Tourism Foundation’s Environment Committee and has been in the safari business for more than 35 years. This award is to recognize him for the outstanding efforts he has made in the past several years to support planning for sustainable tourism development and management in Kenya’s protected areas. Through his efforts - and those of that committee – the private sector has contributed very significantly towards realization of responsible tourism in Kenya.

3.      Community Based Organizations:

Mlilo Tours & Safaris/ Livingstone Mghenyi

Mlilo Tours & Safaris is a relatively new SME tour company based in Malindi. The company specializes in packaging community-related destinations, products and services in Malindi and Taita Taveta. This award is to recognize the work that Mlilo Tours & Safaris has done in mobilizing communities to promote community-based tourism in both Taita Taveta and Malindi regions. In this we would like to make special mention of Livingstone Mghenyi, Mlilo’s Managing Director, for his personal efforts in all the above engagements.

Taita Taveta Wildlife Forum

This is a 140-member association that brings together community-based organizations, ranchers, hoteliers, tour operators and others to discuss and take action on issues of environmental conservation, tourism and livelihoods in the Taita Taveta region. This award is to recognize Taita Taveta Wildlife Forum for its achievements in garnering member support and participation, mobilizing resources, promoting environmental considerations among local conservation organizations and developing a community-based tourism circuit in that region.  Among the different umbrella organizations (forums) that exist in Kenya, Taita Taveta Wildlife Forum has recorded the most remarkable development in the past two years.