Kenyan president condemns murder of conservationist

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has condemned the killing of conservationist Joannah Stutchbury, who was shot by unknown assailants Thursday.

Stutchbury, known for her efforts to conserve the Kiambu forest, was attacked at her home in Kiambu county, Kenyatta said in a statement Friday.

“For the longest time, Joannah has been a steadfast champion for the conservation of our environment and is remembered for her relentless efforts to protect Kiambu forest from encroachment,” Kenyatta said.

Stutchbury’s murder is second of a conservationist in recent years.

In 2018, Esmond Bradley Martin, a Kenya-based American conservationist whose investigations of the elephant ivory and rhino horn trades were seen as critical in efforts to protect the threatened species, was found stabbed to death in his Nairobi home. His murder remains unresolved.