1. Review of Community Conservancies in Kenya
Mohammed Said1, Philip Osano1, 2, 3, Jan de Leeuw1, Shem Kifugo1, Dickson Kaelo4 ,
Claire Bedelian1,5, and Caroline Bosire6
(1) International Livestock Research Institute; (2) Dept. of Geography, McGill University, Canada; (3) Africa Technology Policies Studies Network (ATPS); (4) Basecamp Foundation; (5) University College of London ; (6) University of Twente, The Netherlands
Enabling Livestock Based Economies in Kenya to Adapt to Climate Change: A Review of PES from Wildlife Tourism as a Climate Change Adaptation Option, ILRI, Nairobi, 15 February 2012

2. What is happening in Kenya Rangelands
Biodiversity loss – wildlife declined by 50-70% in ASALs in the period 70s-2009 (Norton-Griffiths & Said 2010; Western et al 2009)
Livestock populations – vary year to year in response to rainfall, increase 0.6% per annum, high offtake
High poverty rates in pastoral communities
Emergence of conservancies – more than 40
Initiative for communities to benefit from wildlife revenue - Payments for Wildlife Conservation (PWC)
Biodiversity loss is increasing worldwide
Poverty is rampant in rural areas of Africa, especially among pastoral communities
How to revert trends in biodiversity loss and poverty
Is there a tipping point? I will show you an example of one case of a ‘tipping point’ in Kenyan rangeland around Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR)

3. Shifts in Land Management in ASALs
Land Tenure
Mobility
Open
Closed
Tourism Benefits
Latent
Gone
Communal
Privatized
Payments for Wildlife Conservation (PWC)
Land Lease
Photo credit: Philip Osano

4. Wildlife trend and Poverty

5. Wildlife Density1970s Wildlife Density 1990s
Source: WRI, ILRI, DRSRS, CBS 2007

6. Wildlife Density in 1990s Poverty Rate in 1999
Source: WRI, ILRI, DRSRS, CBS 2007

7. Evolution of Conservancies

8. Conservancy Geo-database
Gathered and complied from NGOs, and research groups (such as Kenya Wildlife Service, African Conservation Centre, African Wildlife Foundation, Northern Rangeland Trust, The Wildlife Foundation),
Local communities (Olare Orok Conservancy, Naiboisho Conservancy, BaseCamp Foundation, OlKiramatian Group Ranch, SORALO, individual conservancies in Kajiado)
Reports, publications and maps (hard and soft copy)
Internet
Personal communication
Compiled the geo-database and added other auxiliary data such year of establishment, number of members, area, project type, land tenure, funders, etc.,

9. Evolution of conservancies in the Kenya Rangeland
Ratio between conservancies and PA

10. Typology of the conservancies in the Kenya Rangelands
District
Production System
Number of Conservancies
Baringo
wildlife + livestock 1
Garissa
Kajiado
wildlife 2 14
Kwale
Laikipia 4
Marsabit
Narok
Wildlife 6
Samburu
Unknown 7
Photos: Rob O’Meara, Sarah O’Meara
Source of Information: Olare Orok Conservancy Trust publication

11. Typology of the conservancies in the Kenya Rangelands
District
Land tenure category
Number of Conservancies
Baringo
Trust land 1
Garissa
Kajiado
Group Ranch 10
Private 6
Kwale
Laikipia 5
Marsabit
Narok 8
Samburu 2
Land sub-division in the Mara

12. Typology of the conservancies in the Kenya Rangelands
District
Project type
Number of Conservancies
Baringo
Program 1
Garissa
Kajiado
Market 9 6
Unknown
Kwale
Laikipia 5
Marsabit
Narok 7
Samburu 2
Photos: Rob O’Meara, Sarah O’Meara
Source of Information: Olare Orok Conservancy Trust publication

13. Market – Olare Orok Photos: Rob O’Meara, Sarah O’Meara
Source of Information: Olare Orok Conservancy Trust publication

14. Case Study Sites

15. Evolution of the Mara Conservancies

16. Land tenure and policy changes in the Mara
In 1911, the Maasai lost about 60% of their best land and pastures
They were moved from northern reserves to southern reserves
Land tenure is changing from Group ranches to private ownership
Subdivision as been followed by land intensification
Since 2006 land around the Mara have consolidated to form the conservancies

17. Wildlife densities

18. Species richness - wildlife
Ministry

19. Olare-Orok Conservancy (OOC)
Located next to Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR)
Started in 2006
Involves 154 Landowners
Covers an area of 9720Ha
PWC rate (US$/ha/year):
: 36
- ( ): 43

20. 2006 Conservancies Names & Area (Ha) Olare Orok (9,720)
Olkinyei (4,856)
Map source; M. Said; Malcom Gladwell (2000) “The tipping point”

21. 2007 Conservancies Names & Area (Ha) Olare Orok (9,720)
Olkinyei (4,856)
Motorogi (5,466)
Map source; M. Said; Malcom Gladwell (2000) “The tipping point”

22. 2009 Conservancies Names & Area (Ha) Olare Orok (9,720)
Olkinyei (4,856)
Motorogi (5,466)
Mara North (30,955)
Map source; M. Said; Malcom Gladwell (2000) “The tipping point”

23. 2010 Conservancies Names & Area (Ha) Olare Orok (9,720)
Olkinyei (4,856)
Motorogi (5,466)
Mara North (30,955)
Naboisho (20,946)
Potential for PWC
Enoonkishu (6,566)
Lamek (6,860)
Ol-Chorro (6,879)

24. Revenues from Conservancies in the Mara
Photo Credit: David Huberman (IUCN)

25. Core conservation area (Ha)
Conservancy revenue contribution to wildlife conservation and pastoral livelihoods in the Mara
Name
Core conservation area (Ha)
Payment rate ($/Ha)
Enoonkishu
6,566
Not yet determined
Lamek
6,860
bednights based
Ol Chorro
6,879
MNC
30,955
Kshs 2500 ($36)
Motorogi
5,466
Naboisho
20,946
Kshs 2000 ($29)
Ol Kinyei
4,856
Kshs 1300 ($19)
Olare Orok
9,720
Kshs ($43)
Total
92,248
Post-privatisation land reconsolidation for wildlife and livestock mobility is taking place in conservancies around the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR)
2. Total area of the eight (8) Conservancies in Narok district (~ 92,000 ha) is more than half (61%) of the area of Maasai Mara National Reserve itself (150,000 ha)
3. Local community earn more than Ksh 0.25 billion annually, now paid directly to households on a flat rate based on land holdings; contrast to earlier indirect arrangements

26. Biodiversity outcomes

27. Securing Wildlife Corridors
Vision 2030
Securing Wildlife Corridors

28. Trends of wildebeest and sheep & goats in the Mara Ecosystem
Source: Ogutu, Owen-Smith, Piepho and Said 2011

29. Wildlife dispersal areas and corridors
Connectivity dispersal and wildlife corridors (Vision 2030)
Conservation of meta-population
Restoration of degraded lands, wildlife and ecosystem services
Mara
Kitengela
Olkiramatian

30. Competing land uses Agriculture Irrigation Urban development
Biofuels - rangeland

31. Conservancies and wildlife corridors and dispersal areas

32. Acknowledgements
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) (
McGill University (
-Department of Geography and Department of Anthropology
-McGill Institute for International Development Studies (IIDS)
International Development Research Center (IDRC), Canada (
University College, London (UCL), Department of Anthropology
Africa Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) (
National Environment Research Council (NERC)-ESPA (NERC grant NE/ )
Association for the Strengthening of Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA grant PAAP/09/02) (
World Resource Institute (WRI) (
Various partners and collaborators in Kenya (Kenya Wildlife Services, Department of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing, African Conservation Centre, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, African Wildlife Foundation)
Local community and NGOs - Local community in Mara, Northern Rangeland Trust, The Wildlife Foundation, Olare Orok Conservancy, Naiboisho Conservancy, BaseCamp Foundation, OlKiramatian Group Ranch, SORALO

33. Next Presentation - Case Studies
In depth analysis on selected conservancies
Community mobilization, design and partnership arrangements in Conservancies (Dickson Kaelo)
PWC as a coping strategy under different conservancy institutional arrangements: comparative analysis of 3 wildlife conservancies in Kenyan Rangelands (Regina and Philip)
SWOT Analysis of Institutional Arrangements in the Conservancies (Sarah)