MEET OUR KENYAN LEADERS

All activities since 2016 noted in this Kenyan Kids on Safari Blog were organized and led by Stephen Kibuna, KKOS All-Africa Manager & Wildlife Photographer and James Ntopai, KKOS Samburu Manager & All-Africa Naturalist. Native Kenyans of many generations, they are naturally adept at interfacing with other local leaders in education, community relations. conservation, conservancies, national parks, safari camps, wildlife photography and government wildlife management. 

STEPHEN KIBUNA (FB - Steve Choxx) Joined KKOS while still working as the Human Resources (HR) Assistant for Sarova Hotels and was previously with C&C Investment, Ltd.- both headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Studied HR Management at Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya's leading higher education facility after graduating from Njabini Boys High School in South Kinangop not far from Naivasha where he was raised.

He came naturally to an interest in wildlife and nature photography from growing up and going to high school in Kenya's leading birding and hiking center on the 8,300 ft Kinangop Plateau between the Kenyan Rift Valley to the west and the Aberdare Range to the east. It takes its name from Kinangop Mountain, which rises 12,816 ft in the Aberdares to the east. Check out FOKP, Friends of Kinangop Plateau for birding and the Ikereita Forest Hiking & Zip lining for one of the most spectacular wild sites and longest zip lines in Africa. 

JAMES NTOPAI (FB - NTOPZ) Has been part of KKOS since being a student in the program with Samburu Intrepids in 2009 when he was 12 years old. He stands for all the program is trying to accomplish, as Chief Naturalist for Samburu Intrepids, he is a great career example for all of our participants. He has recently won world-wide fame as the commentator for KKOS first film "What's In Your Backyard?" partnered with Save The Elephants. In 2017 he took his own vacation time to help Stephen in the Masai Mara, followed by another two weeks back on home ground with local Samburu kids.

He studied at the renowned Jomo Kenyatta University and is continuing studies to further advance his certification as a naturalist. Growing up in Samburu Isiolo and graduating from Isiolo Boys School, he can testify what a marvel it is swim and play water polo in the "Blue Water" as he calls the Samburu Intrepids pool, quite a change from the muddy water of the sometime violent flow of the powerful Isiolo Nyiro with all its crocodiles. 

(Our prayers for the families of the two young girls from Bulesa who were drowned in the river on November 16. 2017. They were only 8 and 10 years old, and we can only wish they had been playing safely in the "Blue Water" at the camp with KKOS kids.)