Conservationist Richard Leakey dies aged 77
Conservationist and former Head of Public Service Dr. Richard Leakey is dead.
Leakey's death was announced by President Uhuru Keyatta who eulogised him as a globally renown Kenyan paleoanthropologist and conservationist.
"He has over the years served our country with distinction in several public service roles among them as Director of the National Museums of Kenya and Chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service Board of Directors," Uhuru said in his condolence message.
Leakey, 77, died on Sunday, January 2.
Uhuru added: "Besides his distinguished career in the public service, Dr Leakey is celebrated for his prominent role in Kenya's vibrant civil society where he founded and successfully ran a number of institutions among them the conservation organization Wildlife Direct."
Leakey was appointed in 1989 as the head of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Department (WMCD) by President Daniel Arap Moi.
The department was later renamed Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in 1990, and Leakey became its first chairman.
During his stint at KWS, Leakey was credited for dealing with poaching of elephants which had attracted international attention.
He created special, well-armed anti-poaching units that were authorised to shoot poachers on sight.
This drastically reduced poaching in the country.
