Kenya launches new Mountain Bongo recovery plan as IUCN SSC meets in Africa for the first time

What does it take to bring one of Africa’s most threatened mammals back from the brink of extinction? In Kenya, the answer is increasingly clear: science, government commitment, strong partnerships and sustained action on the ground.

These themes took centre stage in Nanyuki on Wednesday, 23 September, as Kenya launched the Second Edition of the National Recovery and Action Plan for the Mountain Bongo 2026–2030 and welcomed the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Steering Committee for its first meeting in Africa.

The gathering brought together Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Hon. Rebecca Miano, Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga, Wildlife Research and Training Institute Director Dr Patrick Omondi, CEO Wildlife Clubs of Kenya Dr. Margaret Otieno, IUCN SSC Chair Vivek Menon, IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Director Luther Anukur, conservation organisations, researchers, government agencies and species experts.

Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Hon. Rebecca Miano speaking at the event.

For Kenya, hosting the commission’s Steering Committee is a significant recognition of the country’s role in species conservation. Kenya hosts IUCN’s Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa and has developed a national Species Specialist Group bringing together conservation experts across taxonomic groups to strengthen knowledge and evidence-based action.

But the focus of the gathering was firmly on turning knowledge into results.

“The Mountain Bongo Action Plan (2026–2030) we launch today applies that sequence to a species whose future depends on decisions made now,” Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said, emphasising the need to move conservation from assessment, to planning, and ultimately to measurable action.

Found only in Kenya and classified as Critically Endangered, the Mountain Bongo represents more than the survival of a single species. Its recovery is closely linked to the health of Kenya’s mountain forests, which provide water, store carbon, support agriculture and tourism, and sustain communities.

“Securing the bongo means securing a wider national asset,” Miano added.

A group photo of high-level participants at the event.

The new plan sets an ambitious target of increasing the national Mountain Bongo population by 50 per cent by 2030, while building towards a self-sustaining wild population of 750 animals by 2075. It also strengthens implementation through clearer responsibilities, a coordination secretariat, regular National Bongo Taskforce meetings and annual, mid-term and final reviews.

The plan is expected to require approximately US$ 3.5 million over five years, with government agencies, development partners, philanthropy and responsible private investment encouraged to align resources with agreed priorities.

At the heart of the effort is conservation on the ground.

The Kenya Wildlife Conservancy Trust, under the leadership of Dr Robert Aruho, is directly involved in implementing Mountain Bongo recovery efforts in the Mount Kenya landscape. Working with partners, the programme is supporting breeding, reintroduction and the preparation of animals and habitats for eventual recovery in the wild.

The effort reflects a wider commitment from Kenya Wildlife Service as the country’s leading wildlife conservation organisation. KWS has identified species recovery, wildlife health, technology, research and partnerships as important elements of its conservation strategy. Prof. Kanga has emphasised the Service’s commitment to working with partners to restore the Mountain Bongo and accelerate its return to the wild.

“The KWS Strategic Plan 2024–2028 reflects our commitment to fostering thriving wildlife populations by enhancing species recovery programmes and improving wildlife health,” said the Director of Kenya Wildlife Service,  Prof. Kanga.

The recovery story also reflects the leadership, passion and support of JCG Founder and Chair and IUCN Nature Patron Humphrey Kariuki, whose commitment has helped strengthen efforts to secure the future of the Mountain Bongo and Kenya’s wider natural heritage.

The Government of Kenya’s broader commitment to wildlife conservation provides an important foundation. Sustained action has supported recovery efforts for major species including elephants and rhinos, demonstrating the importance of long-term government leadership, protection, research, monitoring and partnerships.

For IUCN, Kenya’s experience offers lessons that extend beyond a single species.

Luther Anukur, IUCN ESARO Regional Director, highlighted the launch against the backdrop of REGEN Africa, IUCN’s emerging continent-wide initiative to put nature at the heart of Africa’s development. The initiative seeks to mobilise IUCN members, commissions, the Secretariat and strategic partners around transformative action across sectors, including the wildlife economy.

Luther noted that the Species Survival Commission and other IUCN commissions will provide important scientific and technical support as this wider ambition develops.

For Vivek Menon, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the gathering represents an opportunity to connect Africa’s conservation leadership and expertise with the global species conservation network. Vivek emphasised that prioritising species conservation in Africa is also prioritising global conservation, given the continent’s extraordinary biodiversity and its importance to the health of the planet.

The Mountain Bongo therefore provides both a national priority and a broader conservation case study. Its recovery requires more than breeding animals. It requires secure habitat, genetic management, disease-risk planning, community participation, monitoring and a credible pathway for returning animals to suitable forests.

“Community engagement is therefore a core delivery mechanism, not a peripheral activity,” Hon Miano said, underscoring the importance of ensuring that forest recovery creates jobs, enterprise and tangible local value.

The launch was consequently both a celebration of progress and a commitment to the work ahead.

“By 2030, success must be visible in the forests and verifiable in the data: more bongos in secure habitat, declining illegal and harmful activity, healthy and genetically diverse managed populations, a credible release pathway, and communities benefiting from the recovery of their landscapes,” Hon Miano said.

From Mount Kenya to the wider African continent, the message from Nanyuki was clear: species recovery depends on bringing science, policy, investment, communities and committed conservation leadership together.

For the Mountain Bongo, the next chapter is now underway