Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association logoKenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA) logo
Membership Application

Apply to join KWCA

Register your conservancy with Kenya’s national conservancy movement. Apply online in six short steps, or download the forms and apply by email or in person. Every application is acknowledged within 14 days.
Step 1 — Check you qualify

Who can apply

Full membership is open to registered conservancies in Kenya. Before you start, check that your conservancy meets all four requirements below.
01

A registered legal entity

Your conservancy is registered in Kenya as an association, CBO, company, trust, cooperative or self-help group — and you can attach evidence of that registration.
02

A clearly defined land area

The land is held privately or communally with boundaries you can demonstrate on a map, KMZ file or set of GPS coordinates.
03

A resolution to establish it

A majority resolution by the landowners or community assembly to set the conservancy up, evidenced by signed minutes or a confirmation letter.
04

Wildlife conservation as a key objective

Wildlife conservation is a primary management objective for the land, alongside other compatible land uses.

Which category are you?

Every applicant must also meet the specific conditions for its category, set out in part 3.1 of the membership guidelines.

Community

Community-owned land managed by a registered community institution. You will need registration under the Community Land Act 2016 (or evidence of transition), a majority resolution or interim committee decision, and an endorsement from KWS, your county or your landscape association.

Private

Private land owned by an individual or body corporate. You will need a copy of the title deed — or a lease, concession or easement agreement — plus a board or landowner decision to manage the land as a conservancy.

Group

Contiguous private lands pooled by several landowners into a single conservancy. The same evidence as a private conservancy, covering the amalgamated land.

Co-managed

Public land held under a legal agreement with a government agency. You will need the lease, easement or instrument granting rights of occupancy — preferably for 10 years or more.
Step 2 — Gather your documents

What you’ll need to attach

Have these ready before you begin. The online form uploads them as you go — PDF, Word, JPG, PNG or ZIP, up to 10 MB each.

  • Certificate of incorporation or registration
  • Certified copy of the title deed, lease or land-use agreement
  • Signed minutes or confirmation letter of the resolution to establish the conservancy
  • A map of the conservancy showing its geographical coordinates and its location within the wider landscape
  • An endorsement letter from the KWS county warden, your landscape association, or the county department responsible for wildlife
  • A brief description of the conservancy’s institution, governance and management arrangement, land area and conservation status
  • Your management plan or a background document, if you have one
  • Names and contacts of the people with decision-making authority, including the conservancy manager or a board representative
  • Proof of payment of the registration fee
  • The declaration page, signed and stamped

Sending a KMZ or KML file? Compress it to a ZIP before uploading, or email it to info@kwcakenya.com quoting your conservancy name.

Fees & payment

Registration fee (one-off, non-refundable): KES 5,000 — payable when you submit your application.
Annual membership fee: KES 10,000 — payable once you are admitted as a member.
Bank: Equity Bank Limited, Karen · A/C 1250260931076
M-Pesa Paybill 247 247 · Account 1250260931076
The KWCA financial year runs 1 January to 31 December. Annual subscriptions fall due by 28 February and may be paid in up to two instalments. Both fees are non-refundable.
Step 3 — Apply online

Membership application form

Six short steps. Your answers reach the KWCA secretariat directly, so nothing has to be re-typed. Fields marked * are required — you can leave the rest blank if the information is not yet available.
1
Conservancy
2
Land & status
3
People & tourism
4
Contacts
5
Documents
6
Declaration

Your certificate of registration is required for your application to be processed — but you do not have to attach everything now. Upload what you have; the secretariat will tell you what is still needed when it acknowledges your application. PDF, Word, JPG, PNG or ZIP — up to 10 MB each, three files per box. Anything you cannot upload can be emailed to info@kwcakenya.com.

                  The declaration must also be signed and stamped on paper. Download the declaration page (PDF), print it, sign and stamp it, then upload a scan or clear photograph below.

                  Declaration*
                  Safeguarding*
                    After you apply

                    What happens next

                    Admission to KWCA follows the procedure set out in the membership guidelines. Here is the journey from submitted application to membership certificate.
                    Within 14 days

                    Acknowledgement

                    The secretariat confirms that your application is complete. If anything is missing, we will tell you what to send.
                    Within 90 days

                    Assessment

                    The National Conservancies Council considers your application. If a decision takes longer, we will write to you explaining why.
                    On approval

                    Provisional membership

                    Once the Council approves your application, your conservancy is admitted as a provisional member.
                    At the next AGM

                    Full membership

                    Members ratify your admission by resolution at the next Annual General Meeting, confirming you as a full member.
                    On payment

                    Certificate & number

                    You pay the annual subscription and are issued with a KWCA membership number and certificate.
                    If unsuccessful

                    You will hear why

                    If an application is rejected you are notified within 14 days of the decision, with the reasons and the steps you can take to address them.
                    Downloads

                    Membership documents

                    Read the guidelines before you apply — they set out the admission criteria for each category, the benefits of membership, the fees, and the code of conduct that binds every member. Prefer to apply on paper? Download the registration form, complete it in duplicate, sign and stamp it.
                    PDF · Guidelines

                    Membership guidelines & code of conduct

                    The full guidelines: membership categories, admission criteria and procedure, benefits, fees, cessation of membership, and the code of conduct. Includes both application forms as appendices.
                    Download PDF (1.6 MB)
                    PDF · Appendix A

                    Membership registration form

                    Appendix A — the full membership application form for conservancies. To be completed in duplicate, signed and stamped by the conservancy.
                    Download PDF (1.2 MB)
                    PDF · Appendix B

                    Affiliate membership form

                    Appendix B — the shorter application form for NGOs, companies, trusts and other organisations supporting conservancies.
                    Download PDF (1 MB)

                    Applying offline

                    Completed paper forms, together with the supporting documents and evidence of payment, can be emailed to info@kwcakenya.com or delivered to the KWCA secretariat at Magadi Tenting Centre, Seminary Road (off Magadi Road), Karen, Nairobi — P.O. Box 1038–00517, Uhuru Gardens.

                    Applications sent by email are treated as received by the secretariat within 24 hours of dispatch.

                    Affiliate membership

                    Not a conservancy?

                    Organisations that support conservancies — NGOs, companies, trusts, associations and self-help groups — can join KWCA as affiliate members. Landscape-level associations drawing their membership from conservancies in ecosystems recognised by KWS and KWCA become affiliate members automatically on approval by the National Conservancies Council.

                    Who can apply

                    Any legal entity registered in Kenya or elsewhere as an association, NGO, company, trust or self-help group that actively supports conservancies and conservation on community or private land — through research, investment, livelihoods, land management, governance or any other contribution to wildlife conservation.

                    What you get

                    Benefits set out in a memorandum of understanding signed on admission: access to KWCA’s knowledge and networks, profile placement on this website and in our publications, ready partnerships with our membership, and joint fundraising and resource mobilisation.

                    How to apply

                    Complete Appendix B, attach your certificate of registration and evidence of support for or partnership with member conservancies, and email it with proof of the registration fee to info@kwcakenya.com. Admitted affiliates sign an MOU within 90 days of approval.
                    Download the affiliate form
                    Email the secretariat

                    Questions before you apply?

                    The KWCA secretariat is happy to talk through eligibility, documents or fees before you start — and to help conservancies that are still getting registered.
                    Contact the secretariat
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