Ksh 4Million is what Aggreko International has committed for constructing a permanent housing unit – Energizer house/Guard Post – for fence attendants working along the fence line.

The Energizer house is key to the long term maintenance programme for the Aberdare ecosystem. Construction starts in September 2008.

Want to know what has inspired millions all over Kenya?

Get yourself a copy of the Daily Nation this Thursday 24th July for a full page report in Horizon Magazine section on Rhino Charge, the official 2008 fundraising and event results.

A team comprising officers of Rhino Ark, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the District Administration held a meeting with the local community at Makumbi Sub-Location of Geta Location in Nyandarua South District. This was the first of a planned series of meetings aimed at mobilizing the local communities in the Kipipiri area to support the construction of the fence.

Rhino Charge 2008 held on Sunday (June 1) at Namunyak in Samburu District, raised Shs. 63,638,135.28 (USD 1 Million) in the event’s 20th anniversary.

The event was won by Alan McKittrick and team (McKittrick/Knight/Hutchinson/Trundell) in Car No. 5 scoring 62.31kms over all 13 guard posts.

A maximum 56 off-road vehicles are gearing up for Kenya’s wildest sports event – the Rhino Charge – on June 1.

This extreme test of driving skills and physical endurance is recognised as the toughest off-road challenge in the world, but before the whacky-weekend of fun and madness in the bush there's another race: to raise the highest sponsorship.

For many months now, the six-man crews in each vehicle have been canvassing their friends, running fund-raiser parties, presenting to corporates, doing stunts and lobbying overseas donors to maximize the purse the event will generate for the epic “Aberdare Project” – a 400 km fence that will preserve the forest habitat and water catchment, and protect neighbouring farms from wildlife.

The 10th annual Hog Charge event has raised Ksh 2, 776,308 for the Rhino Ark Aberdare Fence.

Held at the Kahawa Sukari Ranch, Ruiru, on Sunday 27th April, it attracted 83 teams from over 17 schools. Children from different schools participated in this event and hundreds of supportive parents and friends attended.

Aberdares’ most valued asset for all Kenyans is its water catchment. p>Plans for any developments must be conditional on this prime asset.

An integrated Ecosystem Management Plan that commits all ad hoc plans to the scrutiny of a ‘holistic policy’ and the revenue positive role the Rhino Ark Aberdare fence and its ‘access protocols’ into the Aberdare Conservation Area were stressed as ‘prime requirements’ by the Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service directors at the commissioning of the 60 km of Phases Seven and Eight on April 24th.

Rhino Charge Committee has appointed Tarpo Industries Ltd as the outfitter for the Spectator Camp for 2008 Rhino Charge.

The 2008 Rhino Charge will have two distinct areas for camping: Competitor Camp and Spectator Camp. This system was introduced last year and proved very popular.

Rhino Charge entrants to this weekend’s Rob’s Magic Quattro Charge took the top six positions in the expert section.

Ten of the thirty entrants in the expert section were Rhino Charge cars. Winner Rommy Bamrah of Car 40 Rhino Charge received a winning bonus of Ksh 160,000 towards his Rhino Charge 2008 pledge.

The Committee can now announce that that a great venue for the 2008, Twentieth Anniversary Rhino Charge is confirmed. The event will take place on Sunday June 1, 2008.

It also wishes to assure everyone that the venue is in an area where no post election security issues have occurred.

Pledge deadline extended to March 31, 2008

A plan approved by the Trustees in April last year, to broaden the management structure of Rhino Ark required two positions to be filled.

James Githui, based in Nyeri was appointed Manager Fence/Community Development in August last year.

The second position of Resource Development Manager has now been filled effective February 1 this year. Eric Kihiu joins Rhino Ark having served in a variety of senior management positions (non uniformed) in Kenya Wildlife Service, including project and assets management, and most recently heading the Productivity Department tasked with ISO 9000 preparation.

BBC World Service Radio run a fortnightly broadcast under the title: World Business Report. Their correspondent Wycliffe Muga, one of only five who run this programme globally, visited the Aberdares with James Githui and myself a month ago.

For more details, click the link below. .

Probably for the first time, the Rhino Ark website can feature some of the video shot during the Rhino Charge 2007.

A grant of usd dollars 50,000 (ksh 3.3 million) is being provided by UNDP’s Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) to Rhino Ark.

The grant is to support Rhino Ark’s Bongo Surveillance Project initiated in the Aberdares and outreaching to Mt. Kenya and other mountain forests in which the project has identified remnant herds of wild Bongo.

Nobel Laureate Prof Wangari Maathai has become a patron of the Rhino Ark Charitable Trust.

This was announced in a joint communiqué from the Chairman of Rhino Ark’s Board of Trustees, Michael Karanja and Prof Maathai.

Rhino Ark Charitable Trust has appointed Mr. James Githui as Fence/Community Manager to be based in Nyeri.

Rhino Ark has received significant donations in the first quarter of 2007.

Rhino Ark has received Ksh4m. from the Safaricom Foundation for fence construction. The funds are being used for where the build team are currently working on the elephant corridor section fence which links Mt. Kipipiri with the main Aberdare range.

The Minister for Finance, Hon. Amos Kimunya, EGH, MP, formally commissioned Phase Six of Rhino Ark’s Aberdare Fence this morning, at Njabini.

…Kimunya pledges further support.

The Minister for Finance, Hon Amos Kimunya announced specific Treasury support to Rhino Ark for fence materials to the value of ksh 30 million in this budget year at the Commissioning Ceremony for Phase Six in Njabini on November 3, 2006.

Born Free's Founder and President, Virginia McKenna recently made an extensive visit to see the fence project.

Rhino Ark has been awarded a grant of USD 44,751 to support its energizer house/fence attendance accommodation with permanent structures. The grant will be used specifically to support KWS developments in Northern Aberdares with a guard post at Rhino Gate, near the junction of Phase Two and Phase Three.

There are two public access entries to Northern Aberdares at Rhino Gate and Shamata, the sub-headquarters base in the North.

The funds will also construct a permanent post at Tusha / Phase Four on the Kiandangoro road through forest reserve to the Mooreland.

The grant is part of the USFW Elephant Conservation Fund.

Discussions are in progress with British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) to provide skilled technicians and manpower to build the two guard posts.

Rhino Ark is actively seeking further support for its permanent guard post structure programme and has made specific requests for support to corporate donors as well.

Tight lock wire worth Ksh 9.16 million has been received from the Forest Department for Rhino Ark's Aberdare Fence construction programme.

The wire was formally handed over to Rhino Ark by the Permanent Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Prof. George Krhoda who was accompanied by the Ag. Chief Conservator of Forests Mr. David Mbugua.

Receiving on behalf of the Rhino Ark was the Chairman, Board of Trustees Mr. Michael Karanja and the Chairman, Rhino Ark Management Committee Mr. Colin Church at the KWS storage facility in its Langata Headquarters where Rhino Ark offices are also located.

George Odhiambo, Head of Fencing Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has won the Michael Werikhe perpetual trophy for services to conservation donated by the East Africa Wild Life Society (EAWLS) and selected by Rhino Ark's Rhino Charge Committee.

Mr. Odhiambo has been working for the Aberdare Fencing Project for a continuous 12 years and has shown an incredible support to this project. He took this task on whilst he was the Works Supervisor, Aberdare National Park- a position he held until his new appointment. He is now Head of Fencing, KWS.

Great news! Dr. Bill Jordan, has been awarded an OBE.
This makes his full title, and impressive, Dr. W.J. JORDAN Ph.D., M.V.Sc., B.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., M.I.Biol.,OBE.Rhino Ark has a strong relationship with the Bill Jordan Wildlife Defense Fund who have sponsored several projects within the Aberdares.

Last January, just after 8.30am , Corporal James Nyagah of Kenya Wildlife Service got close enough to a wild male Bongo in the Aberdare NP to take a photograph (shown above). This is thought to be the first photograph taken of a Bongo in the Aberdares for over a decade.
Cpl Nyagah tracked the group of an estimated 14 Bongo through very thick vegetation that is common in the Aberdare forests. The donation of cameras by The Bill Jordan Wildlife Defence Fund has enabled photographic evidence to be recorded proving the increasing population of Bongo. This is a testament to the recuperation of the Aberdare ecosystem.

The KWS Surveillance Program with the support of several other donors is now fully operational. Already several different herds of Bongo have been identified and their locations recorded. Once complete, the program will give a fairly accurate indication of numbers and dispersal of Bongo within the Aberdare ecosystem.