Willys Osore

Willys is a coastal ecosystem and marine protected area specialist with over 20 years of conservation experience in Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean. Willys is currently the warden responsible for Kiunga Marine Biosphere Reserve with the Kenya Wildlife Service. He also oversees Dodori National Reserve, Boni National Reserve and other local community-led initiatives in Lamu County, Kenya. Willys previously had roles in Malindi Marine National Park and Kenya Coastal regional conservation headquarters as a licensing officer responsible for wildlife utilisation permitting. In 2022, he was part of the team which developed Kenya’s first sea turtle protocol, a document to standardize sea turtle conservation in Kenya. He holds a degree in Management and Leadership (BML), diploma in Wildlife Management and a professional certification in integrated coastal management. Willys is certified as a MPA Pro by Western Indian Ocean Certification of Marine Protected Professionals (WIOCOMPAS) and management strategic champion in the Smart Seas Africa Network. He is the current coordinator of the Kenyan chapter of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Network (WIOMPAN).