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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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.
Kipkemei is jubilant that the Community Land Act is now been legislated. He is among the many community members who have lived on trust land and knows the fears associated with being a squatter in a land that belongs to your community. “I am glad we will now have the right of ownership to our […]
The Stories of land owners and communities as conservation agents hasn’t received the attention it deserves. By establishing conservancies, communities play an important role in protecting Kenya’s Iconic Wildlife.” KWCA CEO, Dickson Ole Kaelo writes more on this OpEd Published by the Standard Newspaper. Read more: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000220100/conservancies-role-in-wildlife-protection
The 11th edition of the Eco-Warrior Awards was held on Friday 14 October at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Upper Hill, Nairobi under the theme: Sustainable Tourism Our Diversity Our Strength. KWCA conservancy member Ol Lentille Conservancy from Laikipia emerged the winner of the Eco-Tourism Community Conservancy of the year award followed by Ol Kinyei […]
Community conservancies have a reason to celebrate. After years of public consultations and negotiations with government to promote community interests and rights, the Community Land Act was finally enacted on 31 August 2016. The new law gives community landowners powers and rights to govern, manage, and make key decisions about the use of community lands. […]
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in partnership with KWCA is implementing a pilot project using a theory of change approach to strengthen local community engagement in combating Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT). The project is using a situation tool developed by IIED to focus on 4 pathways which include; Strengthening disincentives for illegal behavior, […]
On 17th-20th August 2016, KWCA joined other pan African community based apex organizations from Kenya, Namibia and Tanzania for a four days’ action learning workshop to strengthen organizational leadership in the region’s conservation and natural resources field. Weak governance structures, lack of prioritization and ineffective use of human and financial resources continues to hamper conservation […]
Conservancies development in Baringo is at its peak. With more and more land owners having realized the benefits of wildlife from other regions, they are securing their communally owned lands that previously derived minimal benefits to wildlife conservation. The conservancies characterized with great opportunities including unique tourism attractions e.g. hills, archaeological sites, gorges, potential enterprises […]
The Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association has published a guide dubbed Establishing a wildlife conservancy in Kenya for private land owners and communities. The guide aims at promoting the expansion of land under conservation and increasing land owner’s participation in wildlife management in Kenya. It outlines the processes, policies and resources required to establish and manage […]
The Namibian Association for Community Based Natural Resource Management Support Organizations (NACSO) has praised KWCA for their work policy advocacy and promoting better conservancy standards in Kenya. The team are on a learning visit in kenya to learn and exchange ideas on implementation of wildlife corridors and diversification of revenue streams for conservancies. The team […]
