Blog Spotlight
Community Representatives Call on London Conference to Guarantee Equal Role in Tackling Illegal Wildlife Crime
Press Release 11 October 2018 Representatives from communities affected by the illegal wildlife trade are calling on governments meeting in London today to recognise local communities as equal partners in conserving wildlife, strengthen their rights to land and increase benefits from wildlife, and give local knowledge equal status in tackling the illegal wildlife trade. The […]
Strengthening Partnerships in African Conservation: Kenya’s Wildlife Conservancies Movement
Wildlife Conservation efforts in Kenya is at a critical stage. Four decades of extreme wildlife declines may progressively come to an end if the current wildlife conservation effort in community and private lands were to succeed in the longer term. Already we are seeing some good results: More than 6 million hectares of land is […]
Conservancy Leaders Briefing Paper to the Senate on Financial Support to Wildlife Conservancies
Briefing Paper Senate Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources Submitted by Petitioners Representing Wildlife Conservancies in Kenya and Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association Date: 8th August 2018 Venue: Main Parliament Building, Committee Room 10 Introduction This briefing paper is intended to appraise the Senate Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources on matters raised […]
KWCA CEO Shortlisted for the Prestigious Tusk Conservation 2018 Awards
KWCA CEO Dickson Kaelo, has been shortlisted among the finalists for the 2018 Tusk Award Conservation in Africa for his work in promoting community conservation and for his passion and dedication working with communities and landowners to conserve and benefit from wildlife conservation. Through a press release, Tusk CEO Charlie Mayhew, in announcing the […]
Community Conservancy Ranger Receive African Paradise Rangers Award
Josphat Kasaine ole Kosikir 63, is among 18 Kenyan rangers and 50 from Africa to be awarded the 2018 African Paradise Rangers Award by the Alibaba Foundation and Paradise International Foundation. The rangers were awarded a $ 3,000 grant each for support in their exemplary efforts in protecting Kenya’s natural heritage. “It was unimaginable […]
Remarks by KWCA CEO Dickson Kaelo on World Ranger Day Celebrations
World Ranger Day Celebration Remarks by CEO, Kenya wildlife Conservancies Association, Dickson Kaelo Made on July 31st 2018, KWS HQ Today, is world rangers day, a global event to celebrate and commemorate the work of Rangers working in our forests, parks, reserves and other conservation areas across the country. I join the International Rangers Federation […]
E-Newsletter: Celebrating World Ranger Day 31st July 2018
The natural world is under immense pressure right around the globe. Species loss, habitat destruction, climate change and environmental crime are urgent issues that directly concern us all and deserve our attention. Today, on World Rangers Day, we recognize the increasingly risky and difficult job rangers do each and every day in service of nature and conservation. Rangers around the […]
World Rangers Day: Celebrating Lumo Community Wildlife Conservancy Female Ranger, Ludovika Malemba,
Forty-year-old, mother of four, Ludovika Malemba, a female community ranger from Lumo Community Conservancy emerges top in academics at the KWS law enforcement academy Among 60 community rangers completing the Community Rangers training course at the KWS Law Enforcement Academy (KWS LEA) only 2 are female. Ludovika Malemba stands out, she was awarded best in […]
Kenya’s New Vision on Tourism and Wildlife Conservation Unveiled
Kenya’s Tourism Blueprint 2030 and National Wildlife Strategy 2030 was launched on Tuesday by the Deputy President H.E William Ruto at a colourful ceremony held at the Kenya International Conference centre. The two strategies are aligned to Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Government’s Big Four Agenda. Tourism and wildlife are closely connected and interlinked. The […]
First community conservancy rangers to benefit from new KWS revised curriculum graduate
60 community conservancy rangers among them two women, are the first trainees to benefit from the newly revised community conservancy rangers curriculum at the Kenya Wildlife Service Law Enforcement Academy (KWS LEA) in Manyani, Taita Taveta County. The rangers were drawn from Olgulului Olarashi group ranch, Eselenkei, Naboisho, Mara North, Lumo and Kamungi conservancies. The […]
Proposed Miscellaneous Wildlife Amendments May Weaken Community Conservation Efforts
KWCA has submitted a petition on the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2018, (Wildlife Act 2018 Section) to the National Assembly through the chairperson of the Environment and Natural Resources Departmental Committee. The petition aims to safeguard the inclusion of local communities in the governance of wildlife in Kenya, which will weaken communities involvement in […]
Petition Seeking VAT and Stamp Duty Exemption for Wildlife Conservancies
Following the call for submission of memoranda in the matter of consideration by the National Assembly of the Bill mentioned in the Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No.11 of 2018 published in the Daily Nation Newspaper dated 23rd April 2018; The Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA) on behalf of wildlife conservancies in Kenya […]
Kenya Considers Sustainable Wildlife Utilization Options
The Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife established a task-force on Wildlife Utilization (Sustainable Wildlife Utilization) to deliberate on sustainable wildlife mechanisms for wildlife utilization as provided under section 72 of the Wildlife conservation and management Act 2013. Through the Gazette Notice No.3128, Vol CXX No. 41 dated 29th March 2018, KWCA policy […]
PS State Department of Wildlife establishes a Committee to Implement recommendations of the Wildlife Corridors and Dispersal Areas Report
KWCA CEO Mr. Dickson Kaelo has been appointed by the PS State Department of Wildlife Dr. Margaret Mwakima to represent conservancies in a committee to spearhead the implementation of the National Wildlife Migratory Corridors and Dispersal Areas Report. The report launched on 26th July 2017, recommends the engagement of local communities, private landowners, national and […]
Cabinet Secretary Wildlife and Tourism Endorses Conservancies and Pledges Support
“Every acre of land added to conservation through conservancies is a win for wildlife and tourism. Conservancies should be seen as complimentary to KWS parks as it is the right way to create space for Wildlife and should never be seen to be in competition.” CS Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Hon. Najib Balala […]
KWCA Represents Communities at the CITES Rural Communities Working Group
On 26th February, parties, rural communities and conservation organizations drawn from 21 countries met at the UN Complex Nairobi to deliberate on a set of options to increase participation of rural communities in CITES decision making. The CITES rural communities working group was set up during the Conference of Parties (CoP)17 held in South Africa […]
KWCA Join International Rangers Federation (IRF) Family
We are glad to be part of the International Ranger’s Federation (IRF) family as an associate member. The International Ranger Federation (IRF) is a non-profit organisation established to raise awareness of and support the critical work that rangers do in conserving the world’s natural and cultural heritage. They aim at supporting the professional standards of rangers […]
A look at our 2017 Key Successes
We welcome 2018 with utmost anticipation, having made big progress in 2017. Our biggest impact in the recent past has been the momentum gained by communities to participate in wildlife conservation and the resolute nature of the commitment we see with different stakeholders involved. Despite the challenges of water and pasture scarcity in most pastoral […]
KWCA launches the National State of Wildlife Conservancies Report 2016
“The success of KWCA is in its cooperation with other regional wildlife conservancies associations and the coordination of conservancies to achieve meaningful impact.” This is what Francis Nkoitoi, the chairperson of Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Council said on behalf of community landowners at the launch of the first national State of Wildlife Conservancies Report […]
Conservancies Given Prominence in Kenya’s New Wildlife Policy
Pauline Lolgogine Chairperson of Sera Wildlife Conservancy contributing to the Wildlife Policy during KWCA national Conservancy Leaders Forum in Nairobi. Kenya’s 40 year old policy; Sessional Paper No.3 of 1975 titled “A Statement on Future Wildlife Management Policy in Kenya” recognized community participation in wildlife conservation and management but failed to provide an […]
Conservancy Rangers Review KWS LEA Paramilitary Training Curriculum
On 30 August, 35 conservancy managers and head rangers drawn from Mara, South Rift, Taita, Amboseli, Rift-lakes, Laikipia and Northern regions attended the Conservancies Rangers Review meeting. The meeting organized by KWS in partnership with KWCA was mainly geared towards soliciting feedback from the conservancy rangers and managers on the quality and improvements that can […]
Securing Wildlife Corridors and Dispersal Areas Report Launched
Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Prof Judy Wakhungu launched the Wildlife Corridors and Dispersal Areas Report on Wednesday 16 August. The report, which is part of Kenya’s Vision 2030 flagship project, recognizes wildlife conservation as an important pillar in the socio-economic development of the country. “Kenya has dramatically lost 68% of its wildlife posing […]
Limiting National Parks Compensation Claims Will Derail Conservation Efforts
The recent proposal by the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to limit compensation claims on wildlife injuries and death to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) managed parks, if enacted, would jeopardize wildlife conservation efforts in the country. The purpose of compensation as provided in the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 is to offset […]
Kenya’s Tourism Marketing Strategy should focus on Promoting Diverse Tourism Products
According to the Economic Survey 2017, Kenya earned KSh100 billion from 1.3 million tourists who visited the country in 2016. The country has potential to grow these numbers for both international and domestic tourism if the national tourism market strategy is re-designed to focus on individual county brands. KWCA CEO Dickson Kaelo shares his opinions […]
Report: Second Biennual National Conservancy Managers Policy Workshop
KWCA held its second biennial conservancy leaders conference on 27th-28th February at CORAT Africa under the theme Effective leadership and Policies for Conservancies in Kenya. The conference, which brought together 105 conservancy managers from KWCA conservancy members across KWCA 12 regional associations, provided a resourceful platform for conservancy managers to learn, share and network. The conference […]
KWCA Publishes the Kenya National Wildlife Conservancies Map 2016
KWCA has published the first ever complete map of community, group and private conservancies in Kenya. The National Wildlife Conservancies Map 2016 enlists 119 conservancies, of the total 160 conservancies in Kenya. The spatial extent of some 40 conservancies could not be ascertained either because they are still being negotiated or mapping has not been […]
OP-ED: Conservancies not source of raging conflict in Laikipia
KWCA CEO, Dickson Kaelo shares his thoughts on the recent invasions of conservancies in Laikipia. He explains how conservancies have helped resolve inter ethnic conflict between pastoralists communities in the Northern Region and how livelihoods have been enhanced through enterprise development in the Mara and Laikipia regions.