February 18, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Election-related violence in Kenya has put Western Kentucky University’s summer biology programs in jeopardy.
“I’m not ready to call it yet, but it’s highly unlikely that this summer we’ll be taking students to Kenya,” said Dr. Richard Bowker, head of the Biology Department.
WKU had planned a summer medical program in Kenya along with a wildlife biology research program in its partnership with the University of Nairobi. Dr. Bowker expects both to be moved to the Winter Term next January.
“It’s difficult enough to take students to a place when there are concerns, but when the State Department warnings are strong it’s just not prudent,” he said of violence that has disrupted the East African nation since late December.
Dr. Bowker, his wife Margie and two of their sons were in Kenya for two weeks early last month and got an up-close look at how the violence has affected the country and its economy.
“The military presence and the police presence was unusual and was a reminder that things were not normal,” he said.
The Bowkers were in Kenya to continue a bird population study and to visit WKU’s research field site in the Kasigau region.
The violence began just days before they were scheduled to leave for Kenya. Professor Charles Kimwele, WKU’s research collaborator in Nairobi, kept the Bowkers updated on the situation in his country.
“We were talking to him daily,” Dr. Bowker said.
Kimwele assured the Bowkers that the situation was OK and they proceeded onto Kenya. “Our trip was fine,” he said, “but it certainly makes you nervous and attentive to the potential of problems.”
When they arrived in Nairobi in early January, the Bowkers were amazed at the lack of traffic in a city usually teeming with activity. When they checked into their hotel, they were the only guests. “That’s pretty unusual for a big hotel in a big city,” he said.
For an economy built on tourism, the lack of visitors is a major problem, Dr. Bowker said, adding that the African travel agent they used has lost five months worth of bookings since the violence began.
While the Bowkers were able to travel to the Kasigau region where the field station is located, they weren’t able to travel to the Nairobi National Park because of the potential danger. Kasigau has not experienced any of the violence that plagued western Kenya.
Soldiers also blocked access to Uhuru Park in Nairobi. “Uhuru means ‘freedom’ in Swahili so the irony is that soldiers at ‘freedom park’ were keeping people away and taking away their freedom to assemble,” he said.
“The places we traveled weren’t areas where there was fighting,” Dr. Bowker said. “We certainly would have avoided them. We monitored the political situation.”
Since returning to Bowling Green in mid-January, Dr. Bowker and biology faculty members have continued to monitor the situation in the African nation.
“Kenya is one of the world’s most extraordinary places. It has remarkable contrasts, ranging from spectacular beauty and wonderful creative people to horrific poverty,” Dr. Bowker said. “To go to Kenya is a life-changing experience, but it was tragic this time to see the destructive changes occurring there.”
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Richard Bowker at (270) 745-3696.
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