Who is Jim Justus Nyamu ?

Jim Nyamu is the founder and Executive Director for Elephant Neighbors Center (ENC), a local NGO that focuses on enhancing the capacity of grassroot communities living with wildlife, to promote inter-linkages policy makers and communities and raise awareness on species and habitat conservation.

Jim is a holder of a Post graduate Diploma on Dissertation: Environmental Management study, from Kenya Institute of Social Work and Community Development and also holds a Bachelor’s Degree on Natural Resource and Conservation Management from Mweka College of African Wildlife Management, Tanzania.

Nyamu’s campaign is titled Ivory Belongs to Elephants and has dedicated his life to conservation of the African Elephant. Between 1998 to 2000 Nyamu worked as an Assistant Research scientist with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on projects based at Mt. Kenya, Shimba hills and Arabuko Sokoke. Followed by a stint as an Elephant Research Scientist with African Conservation Centre (ACC). He worked as Consultant with KWS and Mount Kenya East Pilot Project FAO for one-year 2010.

Nyamu has been trained, honored and awarded on several occasions including an award on Professional Development Grant (WWF), where he attended an International Elephant and Rhino Conservation Research Symposium Rotterdam at Netherlands, 2011, Colorado State University& National Museum. Wildlife migration, awarded him a Research Fellowship Rufford grant, Biodiversity Research Program and he took part at Earth Watch Darwin Initiative Magadi: Field techniques for biodiversity Monitoring program in 2008.

Jim founded Elephant Neighbors Center in February 2012 where he is currently directing three programs of Conservation and Research, Education and Community Based Natural Resource and Management (CBNRM) supported by WWF-EFN USA.

From 2013 to date, Jim Nyamu has covered 18,391km in 3 continents on foot in his Ivory Belongs to Elephants awareness campaign and built a movement.

Dates Walk Place walked Km Achievements:

1. Feb- 23rd Feb 2013 Mombasa to Nairobi Mombasa, Taru, Voi, Mtito Andei, Kiboko, Emali to Nairobi 510Km
This was the inaugural walk that established the importance of my mission and the glaring lack of awareness of the importance of species and habitat conservation among the masses and government officials.

2. 11th May – 29th June 2012 Maasai Mara to Nairobi Maasai Mara, Naivasha, Nakuru, Nyahururu, Malaral , Isiolo, Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga to Nairobi 2056km
● This campaign was feature in the Daily Nation for the first time
● H.E the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta joined the campaign in Nyeri with her family

3.Boston, Rhodes Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey , Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland to DC 1350Km ● Massachusetts, Rhodes Island , Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Washington DC I spoke in the Good morning, America in NY reaching out to many Americans
● US-Fish & Wildlife accepted by appeal to destroy ivory in storage.
● Attended the ivory crush ceremony in Denver Colorado
4. Feb 8th – Feb 22 2014 Meru town to Meru Park Kangeta, Ruiri, Kiajai, Kiutene to Meru Park 409km ● 12 schools and 4 colleges participated in this awareness campaign
March 7th – March 29th 2015 Kwale to Lamu Kwale ( Shimba Hills) Mombasa, Kilifi, Malindi, Garsen, Witu to Lamu 570km ● 91 schools organized by Wildlife Clubs of Kenya participated
● Held 79 community meetings with KWS , County officials and NGO’s across the major towns

5. June 6th – June 24th 2015 Nanyuki- Nyeri- Naivasha Nanyuki- Nyeri-Nyahururu- Njabini to Fly over 310km ● 41 schools participate in this walk
● Held 32 community meetings alongside KWS officials
6. Aug 1st – August 18th 2015 Nyeri- Murang’a – Kiambu Nyeri- Kiriaini- Kangema- Ndakaini- Gakoi along Aberdares forest 450km ● 41 schools that border Aberdares forest participated in this walk
● Held 54 community meetings with communities adjacent to Aberdares forest
7. Oct 3rd – Nov 7th 2015 Emali- Loitoktok-Voi Emali, Kimana,Amboseli-loitoktok- Taveta, Wundanyi- Voi 498km ● Walked with 88 primary and secondary schools organized by Wildlife clubs of Kenya
● Visited 10 churches and talked about conservation
8. Feb 4th – Feb 20th 2016 Transmara- Maasai-Mara Kirigoris, Lolgorian, Maasai Mara 380Km ● Walked with Maasai Mara Game reserves
● Walked with 16 schools
● Held 42 community meetings
● Brought together 28 hoteliers/camps and lodges on at Ololaimutia Gate to join hands in conservation efforts.
9. 4th June- 8th Oct 2016 Kenya,Tanzania -Uganda – Kenya \East-Africa) Nairobi- Namanga, Arusha, Moshi- Tanga-Dar es Salaam- Morogoro- Dodoma- Mwanza- Mutukula- FortPotal-Entebbe- Kampala- Jinja-Busia-Kisumu- Kakamege- Eldoret- Nakuru- Nairobi 3656km ● Flagged off by H.E Margaret Kenyatta, the First Lady of Kenya
● KWS accepted to give me 4 officers who walked with me the entire walk
● Held 3,481 community meetings in 3 three countries
● Walked with Kenyan Ambassador in Dodoma H.E Shirau Mwakwele
● Walked with Uganda Wildlife Authority in Uganda
● Walked with 1211 schools in 3 countries
11. April 8th – May 9th 2017 Nairobi to Marsabit Nairobi- Murang’a- Nyeri, Naromoru-Nanyuki-isiolo- Marsabit 810km ● Walked with H.E Dr Vincent O’Neill the Ambassador of Ireland
● Got support from Nairobi, Murang’a ,Isiolo , Laikipia ,Isiolo and Marsabit ( The county hosted my team in their county, fueled our support vehicles and offered accommodation
● Delivered a statue of Ahmed of Marsabit elephant to H.E. Ukur Yatani Governor of Marsabit
12. Dec 7th – Dec 16th 2017 London – Bristol London, Windsor-Reading-Swindon-Cheltenham- -Stroud-Bath to Bristol 470km ● Flagged of by H.E Ambassador Lazarus Amayo
● Received by Mayors of 8 states
● Brought together Kenyans in diaspora in UK at Bristol
● Received an international conservation Award by MTM
● Dec 23rd I was a guest speaker at House of Commons during the debate “ ending trade of ivory “
13. June 11th – Nov 10th 2018 East- South Africa Nairobi- Arusha- Lilongwe- Chipata -Lusaka-Bulawayo- Harare- Francistown 4950km ● I was received by regional commissioner /Mayors in all the major towns
● Received by Provincial Minister of Muchinga Hon Malozo Sichone
● Received by Kenyan Mission in Lusaka, Lilongwe, Harare and Francistown
● Received by Former and founding Zambian President Late Kenneth Kaunda in his residence
● Held a parliamentary committee on Environment meeting in Lusaka
● Received by Vice President of Zimbabwe H.E Cde, Constantino Chewenga in Harare with the Foreign Affairs Minister et al
● Received a civilian Honor in Zimbabwe “ Cde’ ( Comrade)
● Received by Minister of Tourism & Wildlife in Francistown in Botswana
● Held 3139 community meetings along the road

14. August 4th – August 12 2021 Nairobi- Amboseli Nairobi- Kitengela-Kajiado-Ilbisil- Kimana to Amboseli 320km ● Brought together 5 different tour-operators during the flag off
● Commemorated 2021 World Elephant Day in Amboseli

15. Nov 16th – Dec 17th 2021 The Great North Rift “Nairobi- Mt Elgon “ Nairobi- Ngong, Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Muhoroni, Nandi, Uasin Gishu (Eldoret) to Kitale 634km ● Planted 19,800 indigenous trees in 10 counties namely Nairobi, Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Kisumu,Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Kakamega and Trans Nzoia
● Walked with 35 schools
● Held 57 community meetings
16. Tsavo East- Galana- Arabuko Sokoke Mombasa, Mazera’s, Mariakani, Bamba, Ganza, MatanoMane, Baolala, Chakahola, Chakama, Jilore, Kakuyuni, Gede to Malindi 321km ● Walked with 37 learning institutions
● Walked in two counties Mombasa and Kilifi

● Since 2017, Kenya Wildlife Service awarded me as a Hon Warden for Mt Kenya Conservation and was renewed this year until 2024.
● In Dec 12th 2021 he was awarded “ The Order of Grand Warrior” by H.E The President of Kenya

Read His Walking Blogs on: http://jimjustusnyamu.blogspot.com

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Nyamu

Website: www.elephantcenter.org