“They are the people up there providing market. We have to stop the market itself. It is the reason why we lose animals that should be making us proud. The kingpins make unknown amount of money and the poachers they use – what they make is unknown and insignificant. We are jailing the poachers, what about the market that is providing the platform for poachers,” Maina pondered.
In different corners of the hotel a total of 15 artists were working on their art pieces to demonstrate different aspects of conserving the wildlife.
Some artists used bottle tops and branded plastic supermarket paper bags to illustrate the importance of recycling in Kenya.
Another exciting piece of work was one that elephants in Kenya are so tired that they have decided to address a press conference to voice their sadness of being killed, tortured, injured and invaded.
Of striking significance was also a drawing showing how poor policies negatively affect preservation of wildlife.
The saddest of all was a drawing of an elephant struggling to survive under water which it found as the only safe place it could live in.
“They have faced all sorts of danger and threats that land is no longer a safe place for them. They have opted to live in water instead,” the artist explained.
“The hotel feels that Kenya has amazing artists that need a platform to showcase their skill and talent. The aim of this exhibition is to showcase Kenyan talent and to expose these artists to an ideal market. We have fantastic artists in Kenya and we want to give this platform so that they can display their work. It also coincides with the burning of ivory,” Villa Rosa Kempinski General Manager Manish Nambiar explained.
On Saturday evening, there will be an opportunity for the artists to show case their work at the hotel and guests will have an opportunity to bid for them.
Part of the money collected will be dedicated to wildlife conservation in Kenya.
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