KWS Law Enforcement Academy | Kenya Wildlife Service

The establishment of the Kenya Wildlife Service in 1989 as a State corporation marked a turning point for its paramilitary training wing. The process effected the conversion of Manyani Anti Poaching Camp into a paramilitary training facility.

Before that, wildlife officers and rangers were trained in different institutions including the Kenya Armed Forces College at Gilgil and at the Administration Police College in Embakasi, Nairobi. Occasionally, the trainings were conducted internally by the Wildlife Conservation Management Department (WCMD) at Kenya Wildlife Service Mbagathi Workshop ground and the Ngong station.

The transformation of the organisation from WCMD TO KWS saw the General Service Unit (GSU) coming on board to train the newly formed KWS uniformed personnel on paramilitary drills. The earlier training in these different institutions was an attempt to identify which among them could offer appropriate and relevant paramilitary training to wildlife personnel. It was found that none of them could meet the requirements of wildlife conservation. It also emerged that the training was not of the same standard and hence the Wildlife Conservation and Management Department had a uniformed wing comprising of personnel with different paramilitary training.
It was, therefore, upon the formation of the Kenya Wildlife Service that it became apparent that there was need to establish our own training school principally to promote and harmonize paramilitary training, including wildlife conservation concepts.

The Kenya Wildlife Service Field Training School – Manyani was thus established in July 1990 and in 2011, the name was changed to KWS Law Enforcement Academy because it also carries out training of personnel from non- conservation fields who undertake some security oriented duties like the Kenya Ports Authority. The academy is located within Tsavo West National Park, off the Nairobi - Mombasa Road, 290 km South of Nairobi and 196 km North of Mombasa. The area is usually hot and remains dry for most of the year, typical of Savannah National Parks and Reserves.

Our Mandate

The academy’s main mandate is to implement the paramilitary training policy of the Kenya Wildlife Service. However, the mandate has widened with time and currently covers training of community rangers and scouts from National Reserves, private and community ranches and sanctuaries involved in wildlife conservation. Other trainings are offered to National and County Government institutions with security oriented tasks like the Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Ports Authority and County enforcement officers. Other internal or external short tailor made trainings are also undertaken at the academy. The institution has conducted many training programmes for KWS uniformed personnel and other stake holders as well and to date, more than 106 courses have been conducted with well over 6,000 trainees graduating from the institution.

Vision

"To be a leading wildlife law enforcement training institution with a view to having highly professional, disciplined and efficient work force."

Mission

“To be a world leading and professional wildlife law enforcement training institution”

Instructional Strength

The academy’s overall Incharge is the Commandant; with instructional coordination vested under a Chief Instructor and the general camp administration and discipline under an adjutant. On the instructional wing, faculty commanders (also referred to as senior instructors) head the various training departments and directs the junior instructors on the execution of the training programmes. Senior and Junior instructors are the core trainers and are backed up by field based reserve trainers who join when the trainee numbers are high. To ensure crucial facts are not left out especially for specialized units, external resource persons from various KWS divisions, trainee source institutions and other relevant Government institutions are usually incorporated to give lecturers in the course of the training period.

The Academy’s curriculum has expanded over the years to embrace new subjects ideal for tackling the evolving conservation challenges in the country and beyond. Competence based Curriculum takes effect from March 2022 and the units cover key areas that can help in producing an all-round skilled officer who is highly motivated and employable. The list includes but not limited to the following

Wildlife Conservation and Management
Leadership
Foot and Arms Drills
Weaponry
Bush Craft and Minor Tactics
Map Reading and Global Positioning System (GPS)
Radio Communication and IT
First Aid and Hygiene
Methods of Instructional Techniques (MOIT)
General personal wellness
Physical Training
Administration
Ethics and Anti- Corruption
General Law and Wildlife Act
Counter Terrorism

Courses Offered

Various internal and external courses for different cadres of trainees are offered at the academy, with varying durations depending on the training needs. Some courses are also tailor-made to meet the desired objectives of the user. Some of the courses offered at the academy include:

Basic Ranger Recruits’ Course
Refresher/Retraining Course
Officers’ Induction Courses
Up skilling course
Platoon Commanders’ Course
Basic Instructors’ Course
Problem Animal Control Rangers’ Course
Game Scouts’ Course
Company Commanders’ Course
Civilian to Uniformed Conversion Courses
Fire management systems course
Basic Investigation Courses
Basic Intelligence Courses
Security operatives course

Training Facilities
When the school was established, it was meant to offer field craft training hence no permanent facilities such as classrooms were built. It was desirable at that time to conduct classes in make-shift bush shades so that trainees could get used to field conditions and hardships to prepare them well for the reality out there. This situation has however changed with time and due to various demands and changing working conditions, the organization has embarked on putting up modern and permanent facilities to meet the modern dynamic demands.

Currently, the school has permanent and semi- permanent training, dining and accommodation facilities and plans for gradual but complete upgrade of these into modern structures are still underway. Excess trainees are accommodated in bush tents available at the academy.

Outdoor training facilities include a tarmac parade ground with a pavilion mainly used for passing out parades, a recreational area with various pitches for various games and sports .The trainee entertainment programmes also includes several television sets connected to DSTVs and video entertainment are also provided for staff and trainees.

The Academy’s location within Tsavo West National Park and proximity to Tsavo East National Park is ideal as it provides limitless training ground for practical lessons in field craft, basic combat skills and map reading (GPS) besides fresh water supply from Mzima springs.Other facilities include a parade ground with a pavilion mainly used for passing out parades, a recreational area with various pitches for various games and sports, several television sets connected to DSTVs and video entertainment is also provided for staff and trainees.

The Academy has a fully equipped level 3 dispensary complete with a laboratory and qualified personnel. There are two clinical officers, a nurse and a lab technician who attend to the trainees and the staff within KWSLEA and neighboring institutions like Kenya Pipeline Corporation.

TThe Academy has a fully equipped computer Lab and instructional staff make use of the facility for reference materials on lessons to be taught to trainees and their own academic research to ensure they are equipped with the relevant knowledge to meet the demand of the trainees. Internet connection in the facility is currently intermittent but plans for faster internet connection are underway.

The Academy is served by a two-kilometre well maintained all weather airstrip sufficient for day landing for most light aircrafts and a dirt road form the main Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

Collaboration With Other Institutions

Over the years, the academy has enjoyed warm and a cordial working relationship with several other training institutions within and outside KWS. The Wild Research and Training Institute (WRTI) formerly Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute – Naivasha, has been collaboratively running some programmes with KWS Law Enforcement Academy. Trainees were being sent to the Naivasha institute for wildlife studies and occasionally the WRTI lecturers would come to give lectures at the Academy.

KWS law Enforcement Academy has over the years worked closely with the General Service Unit (GSU). The GSU is credited with having started the paramilitary training in KWS and contributed immensely to the setting of Manyani Field Training School.

To build capacity for the instructional wing of the academy, most of the instructors have been taken through the following courses: -

The academy is starting a boot camp for training outdoor activities to both trainees and visitors. For outsiders, this will be done strictly on booking.

Belay school /mountain rescue training will be contacted at both Mlima Kanyi and Mlima Cucu as some of the new activities initiated lately.

Over the years, the school has perfected its training programmes to address the needs of the uniformed personnel such as instilling discipline and setting high standards of performance. Additionally, continuous training of both KWS uniformed personnel has been undertaken when need and resources are available. Since the inception of the Field Training School, almost all uniformed personnel have attended a course at the academy and the success in KWS security bush craft operations is largely attributed to their training in this academy and the personal discipline of the personnel. Constant feedback on our training is obtained from the mid and end term trainee evaluations, KWS field based wardens and follow up assessment of trainees at their different areas of work.