By Francis Kimanene.
In the vast, sun-scorched landscapes of northern Kenya, a quiet revolution is unfolding. One time devastated ecosystems are on the rebound with growing elephant herds traversing time-honoured migratory routes and communities previously at odds with wildlife now becoming their fiercest protectors.
All that courtesy of good conservation stewardship by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)! At the heart of the intimated transformation lies a network of community-led conservancies, bolstered by KWS.
These conservancies—a blend of traditional superintendence and modern conservation—have become a global blueprint for balancing ecological preservation with human prosperity.
Kenya’s wildlife faced a tipping point in the 1980s. Poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict pushed iconic species like elephants, rhinos, and lions toward extinction.
Traditional protected areas—national parks and reserves—were insufficient to stem the crisis. Enter community conservancies: tracts of communally owned land managed for conservation and sustainable use.
Initially focused on state-run parks, KWS eventually recognised that empowering communities could scale conservation efforts to unprecedented proportions. Through policy reforms, funding, and technical support, KWS has helped the establishment over 160 conservancies since 2000.
These cover 11% of Kenya’s landmass and now offer safe passage to critical wildlife species that contribute 12% of Kenya’s tourism revenue. The Ol Pejeta, a 90,000-acre conservancy in Laikipia, is synonymous with cutting-edge conservation.
Home to Kenya’s largest black rhino population, Ol Pejeta owes its success to a decades-long partnership with KWS. For the record, KWS deployed a specialised rhino patrol unit and funded the conservancy’s 24/7 surveillance drone network, a move that has stymied poaching since 2017.
Besides, KWS has supported the establishment of the Ol Pejeta Education Centre, which trains 5,000 students annually in conservation-related matters.
The Ol Pajeta-KWS partnership integrates cattle grazing with wildlife habitats that has led to improved pasture health and enhanced income generation for 20,000 locals.
Consequently, Ol Pejeta’s rhino population has grown from 20 in 1988 to 165 today. The conservancy contributes $4 million annually to local economies through tourism and agriculture.
In the Greater Mara ecosystem, 15 conservancies buffer the Maasai Mara National Reserve. With KWS support, these conservancies have redefined sustainable tourism.
In the case of the Mara, KWS negotiated leases with 14,000 Maasai landowners, converting 350,000 acres into protected zones. Families earn monthly payments, thanks to a model that ties conservation to household incomes.
KWS-trained rangers today collaborate with the Mara Elephant Project that has led to the reduction of poaching by 90% since 2019. As a cautionary measure, KWS funded underpasses along the Nairobi-Mara highway to prevent roadkill while enabling reconnection with fragmented habitats.
As a result, lion populations in the Mara have increased by 25% since 2015. As a matter of fact, conservancies generate $10 million yearly for communities, funding scholarships and clean water projects.
Over time, conservancies in Kenya have flipped the script on conservation, making it a pathway out of poverty. KWS has been at the centre of this revolution. Under KWS guidelines, for example, conservancies channel 30-50% of tourism income to communities. In 2023, conservancies disbursed over Ksh 3 billion ($23 million) to local projects.
Conservancies employ 15,000 Kenyans as rangers, guides and hospitality staff. This employment offers stable incomes in several outposts, some of them very remote. Conservancy scholarships have sent 8,000 children to school since 2010, including 70% of girls in Samburu County.
Clinics funded by conservancy revenues serve 500,000 people annually, slashing maternal mortality rates by 40% in Turkana. To build resilience against climate change and other foreseeable drawbacks, KWS has engaged in installing solar-powered boreholes and reseeding degraded grasslands.
The Service has also initiated a programme that mediates conflicts between herders and conservancy managers over and above partnering with NGOs and carbon credit programmes to reduce reliance on tourism. Ultimately, KWS aims to double conservancy coverage to 22% of Kenya by 2030, aligning with the nation’s Vision 2030 agenda.
This is supposed to happen through amendments in the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act that is geared to incentivize private sector partnerships. Aside from that, KWS is poised to expand the use of AI-powered camera traps and blockchain systems to track wildlife and funds in the coming days.
Also in the pipeline, is the launch of conservation clubs in 1,000 schools to nurture the next generation of biodiversity stewards and champions.
Kenya’s conservancy movement, supercharged by KWS, is transforming biodiversity protection while sharing power, profits and purpose with communities, one day at a time.
Dr Kimanene is a conservation expert based in Geneva, Switzerland.
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