The Family of renowned conservationist has come out to call the government and stakeholders for assistance to burry world celebrated conservationist Patrick Kilonzo Mwalua .
Patrick Kilonzo passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 51 after after 10-year battle with kidney failure.
Mr Mwalua died at his home in Kajire village in Taita Taveta County, Kenya, as he was being taken to the Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi for dialysis.
The death of Patrick kilonzo Mwalua has come as a shock not only to his close family but the world at large . Patrick known to many as “The Water Man of Tsavo or the Elephant Man ” came to spotlight in 2016 when he decided to feed elephants and other wildlife with water during long drought that hited Kenya.
Born in 1973 in Kajire village in Taita Taveta County , Mwalua grew up in agriculture naighbourhood at the foot of Sagalla Hills , addressing Human Wildlife Conflict which was a problem that affected many families in his naighbourhood.
In 2013 he began conservation works trying to seek for solution to the common challenge that affected his community through climate smart agriculture projects in his village .
His passion grew to wildlife conservation what lead him to become an inspiration in his community and also globally .
In 2016, during the prolonged dry season, as a farmer in his local village of Kajire he witnessed first hand the devastating effects of climate change on wildlife.
Driven by a deep love for animals, he embarked on a mission to supply water to Tsavo’s parched lands to prevent wildlife from dying from thirst.
During his extraordinary mission, he crisscrossed the vast Tsavo National Park, delivering much-needed water to thirsty elephants and other wildlife.
Armed with a water tanker, he was dedicated to ensuring that animals did not gather at a single water point, preventing conflicts and promoting their survival.
His endless efforts to feed the wildlife with clean water has gave him global recognition and for this reason Kajire Village become a stopover for international conservationists who visited Patrick for what was termed as bench marking . Kilonzo become an inspiration to many foreign conservationist who toured Kenya just to witness his work.
However, the journey of nobility become a difficult one, owing to his deteriorating health due to failure of both of his kidneys .
His wife, Rachel Kilonzo, told Prime Africa that she stands ready to carry on his conservation work.
She said his efforts were nothing short of heroic.
His passion was contagious. We will honor his memory by continuing to protect our precious wildlife
she said
She said despite his illness he always ensured that his projects were running ajd impactful to the community and wildlife.
Even when he could not move he was always making following ups of his projects through calls. As a family we are inspired by his passion and hardwork
she said
During his last days, even as he battled the failure of both kidneys, he recently mobilized for a sunflower oil pressing machine to help farmers from his community.
The family spokesman, Jones Chengo, said burial preparations are underway at his Kajire home, where he lived.
The family plans to give him a befitting send-off, celebrating his tireless efforts to conserve the environment and safeguard wildlife.
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