Kenyan Conservationist Jim Nyamu to Launch Epic Cross-Border Walk to Champion Elephant Protection

Renowned Kenyan conservationist Jim Justus Nyamu, founder of the "Ivory Belongs to Elephants" movement, will on Saturday 16th, August 2025, flag off a monumental awareness walk from Mombasa, aimed at fostering harmonious coexistence between communities and wildlife across East and Southern Africa. The campaign,is set to cover over 3,200 kilometers through Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, underscores the urgent need to combat poaching and protect endangered elephants.

Image: Jim Nyamu (left) founder Ivory belongs to Elephant movement and Mombasa county Commissioner Mahmoud Noor, at cinemax Nyali, 14th, August 2025.

Addressing the media in Mombasa, Nyamu said that the wild animals are in danger of extinction noting that the hyenas  Starting to hunt for themselves.

" Take hyena for example, they are very important to us, they control diseases, you know we shouldn't see hyenas hunt, they're scavengers, they are used to eating the remains, now that we see them hunt is a worrying trend" Nyamu said.

He's calling for communities to try and coexist with these animals in any way possible.

Nyamu is greatful that people have been nice to him as he enters their countries, students in schools, government officials and community at large welcoming him. However there were challenges he faced along the way, Nyamu is a man who keeps going. He called for Kenyans to step in and help in supporting his movement.

Nyamu, a research scientist, honorary warden with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and Rotarian, has dedicated his life to elephant conservation since founding the Elephant Neighbors Center (ENC) and launching the "Ivory Belongs to Elephants" campaign in 2013."

His efforts have spotlighted the plight of African elephants, whose populations have plummeted due to poaching for ivory, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflicts.

The "East-South Africa Elephant Campaign and Awareness Walk" will kick off at the KWS Mombasa Ground Saturday morning, with Nyamu and his team planning to traverse critical elephant ecosystems, including Shimba Hills National Park in Kenya, before crossing into Tanzania, Mozambique, and concluding at Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe.

Over the next 120 days, the group will engage communities along the route, educating residents on sustainable living alongside wildlife and advocating for stronger cross-border protections against trophy hunting and the illegal ivory trade.

This latest endeavor builds on Nyamu's previous successes, including a 3,200-kilometer trek in 2023 from Nairobi through East and Central Africa, which culminated in a procession at KWS headquarters and inspired a documentary. The film captures raw experiences from the journey, highlighting encounters with matriarch elephants and community stories.

Supporters, including the Kenya High Commission in Maputo, Mozambique, have rallied behind the initiative, noting its role in promoting sustainable coexistence.

Elephant conservation remains a pressing issue in the region, with poaching driven by demand for ivory ornaments, jewelry, and even piano keys continuing to threaten herds.

Recent arrests in Mombasa for ivory possession highlight ongoing enforcement challenges, while cross-border migrations—such as elephants moving from Kenya's Amboseli National Park to Tanzania—underscore the need for collaborative efforts, Nyamu's walk aims to amplify these concerns, urging governments and communities to prioritize wildlife protection.

As the team steps out from Mombasa's iconic Moi Avenue—famous for its giant elephant tusk arches—they invite global participation.

Nyamu's relentless advocacy echoes the spirit of earlier Kenyan conservation heroes, like Michael Werikhe's 1982 rhino awareness walk from Mombasa to Nairobi.