Measures to promote beneficial wildlife conservation in Kenya

On July 24, 2023, the Executive Office of the President, through the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, issued a communiqué that seemed to have been a requirement to be met for development practice in wildlife conservation areas by stakeholders.

The communication temporarily froze issuance of permits and licenses for developments, and also stopped development activities within the conservation space.

These included activities like change in land use and subdivisions of the same, among other pointers, all in bid to have conservation practitioners organize themselves with policies and brace themselves with implementable work plans to see successful future wildlife conservation practices.

The most notably affected wildlife conservation areas included; Kajiado, Machakos (Athi-Kapiti corridor), Narok, Laikipia, Taita Taveta and Baringo areas; but ideally, what was the background of the President’s directive, and perhaps what does it seek to achieve? Different conservation experts hold varying opinions.

According to some experts, where land use is changing most obviously is in the pastoralist rangelands, in large part owing to subdivision. Also, large group ranches or communal land are being parcelled up into individual plots and titles and given to individual households. That’s what prompted the directive.

How then can the conversions of rangelands into fenced-off parcels function?

As it happens, most wildlife are on those rangelands, so keeping them open for livestock also helps wildlife, hence the reason conservationists and pastoralists share the motivation to protect open landscapes.

According to Jackson Mwato, Chief Executive Officer of the Amboseli Ecosystem Trust, the practice has been applied successfully from a planning perspective through cooperation by the community.

“We’ve classified zones for settlement, urban, livestock, conservation, tourism, and mining – all have been considered. But what has been challenging is the enforcement of the land use zones and restrictions, and because of recent subdivision, people are converting the rangelands to different uses that are not compatible,” he revealed.

Mr. Mwato further maintained that a society and the country at large must become aware that people are supposed to develop land based on what’s allowed according to the zone.

On the other hand, Gladys Warigia, Policy and Advocacy Manager at the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association and an expert on the Community Land Act, blamed the continued delay in registration of community lands saying it has denied the communities rights to land access, ownership, use and self-determination.

“Therefore, optimizing the productivity of community lands, which account for over 70 per cent of Kenya’s land, will largely occur when the unregistered lands are registered and titled,” she stated.

Ms. Warigia therefore hailed the President’s directive, adding: “The President has demonstrated goodwill to realize this course. Its realization is highly pegged with the commitment of the county governments and the Ministry of Lands and structured collaborations from partners. The long term success of investments in conservation and other land uses are highly pegged to communities in Kenya having secure tenures.”

As for John Kamanga, CEO of the Southern Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO), the President’s communication was a long overdue process that was not given attention.

“While we all appreciate having our own spaces for development, it must not be at the expense of making land a factor of production, and that is what the President is asking for,” he claimed.

Mr. Kamanga further believes that Nairobi has been pushing for titling of lands without understanding the situation on the ground.

“Most of our arid and semi-arid lands are key to the pastoral livestock production systems that have also allowed for wildlife to be in the same spaces. An economic model that is built around the two gives maximum return for the communities living in this area,” he added.

Generally, conservation experts who gave Citizen Digital audience agreed with each other that coordination of planning processes starting from the communities, counties and national government is key, hence it is an ideal moment to take stock and reflect on the conservation stand by the Kenyan Head of State.