Head of Monitoring, Save the Elephants
Benson holds a bachelor’s (Kenya), master’s (UK) and a doctorate (Netherlands) in conservation science. He has 23 years of professional experience and works to bridge conservation with community. He headed the rhino and conservation programs at Kenya Wildlife Service. Ben is well published, recently co-authoring Kenya’s Wildlife migratory corridors and dispersal areas report — a Kenya Vision 2030 deliverable on environment and subsequently appointed by Government of Kenya to a Working Group championing the implementation of that report. He was in the synthesis team for Kenya’s Wildlife Strategic Plan 2030. He Chaired the national Task Force on Consumptive Wildlife Utilization in 2018 that assessed and advised on the modalities of implementing the provisions of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 on consumptive wildlife utilization. He is the immediate outgoing Deputy Chair of of the IUCN-African Rhino Specialist Group. Currently, Dr Okita is the Director of Conservation Policy and Planning at Save The Elephants and the co-Chair of the IUCN SSC African Elephant Specialist Group. He was awarded by the President of Kenya the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) for distinguished service to the nation in 2008.