𝐀 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝

Tonight at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Kenya welcomed four rare Mountain Bongos back home - a meaningful step forward for the species’ recovery.

The reception was led by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Hon. Musalia Mudavadi, and Cabinet Secretary for Tourism & Wildlife Hon. Rebecca Miano.

It brought together partners from across government and conservation, including KWS Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga, Czech Republic Ambassador Nicol Adamcova, the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC), the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), and KLM.

Arriving on a KLM cargo flight from the Czech Republic, where they had been under the care of Zoo Dvůr Králové, the four males now join a growing population at MKWC. As Humphrey Kariuki, patron MKWC shared, the conservancy is now home to 102 bongos, and the addition of these four males will play an important role in strengthening the gene pool.

Their return is the result of years of planning under the National Recovery and Action Plan for the Mountain Bongo, and strong international collaboration.

Ambassador Nicol Adamcova noted that this translocation reflects the long-standing partnership between the Czech Republic and Kenya in conservation, and a shared commitment to protecting endangered species.

For KWS, this moment carries deeper meaning. As Prof. Erustus Kanga put it, it is “a moment of hope, responsibility, and renewed commitment” to securing the future of one of the world’s rarest large mammals.

Government support has been key in making this possible. CS Rebecca Miano emphasized that bringing in genetically diverse bongos is a critical step in strengthening breeding resilience, while Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi highlighted that such milestones show what can be achieved when policy, science, and collaboration come together in pursuit of a shared conservation goal.

With their return, Kenya moves one step closer to restoring Mountain Bongos to their natural habitats -  where they belong.