The Kitengela Conservation and Community Project

Throughout the year, wildlife moves in and out of Nairobi National Park in Kenya as conditions change. During the dry season, migrating herbivores such as wildebeest, zebra and antelope gather in the park where there is permanent water. Once the rains begin, these animals move south into the open savannah of the Kaputiei dispersal area. These open grasslands are also used by the Kaputiei Maasai community for livestock grazing.

For many years, the local Maasai, their cattle and the wildlife comfortably shared these open grasslands. But as competition for land and water increased, more farmers started selling off segments of their land for development. As crop farming and fenced-off plots have increased, the once-open landscape, in turn, has become increasingly fragmented. At the same time, population growth in Nairobi has put pressure on the Kaputiei plains with more people purchasing land and settling in the area. As a result, wildlife populations and the very survival of the park are in jeopardy.

With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), AWF joined with other partners to launch the Kitengela Conservation Project in May 2008. The project aims to help prevent further degradation of the region and to find solutions that allow the local Maasai communities and wildlife to peacefully co-exist.

AWF, in partnership with the Land Owners Associations, the County Cpouncil of Olkejuado, the Kenya Wildlife Service, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and other conservation leaders, is carrying out a three-year program to try to secure the ecological integrity of the Kaputiei region.

The program has so far supported the development of a Kaputiei Land Use Master Plan that lays out community-driven guidelines on sustainable land use and natural resource management in the region. Other initial steps include:

Mapping the Kitengela terrain and wildlife usage patterns:

• AWF and its partners have recruited and trained Field Research Assistants from the community to use GPS equipment to map the migratory patterns of wildlife. Such information is used to define and illustrate the issues facing Kaputiei and encourage the County Council and government decision-makers to support land-use planning, define limits for urban expansion, and set aside critical areas and linkages that would secure wildlife and livestock movements in the Kaputiei plains.

Exploring ways to enhance livelihoods and further engage the community in conservation:

• AWF is working with local landowners through the Land Owners Associations (LOAs) , women groups and ILRI to enhance livestock production, strengthen market links and rationalize land uses. AWF is also working with partners such as the Kenya Land Conservation Trust to pioneer legal mechanisms that will safeguard open lands for future generations.
• Building the capacities of other organized CBOs like the Kule Dairy Cooperative and several women groups in the region, AWF aims to train them in business management and assist them in reaping more from their new and existing business ventures.
• In planned grazing, AWF has worked with some communities to ensure that ventures like hay baling and water harvesting are introduced to ensure better sustenance of the community and prevent periodical migration and increased land sales during the draught seasons.
• A new concept, the Market Access Company was introduced in the project area as an example of a community-owned, profit-driven market access mechanism, for evaluation by the community. This is to help enhance meat and milk market chains.

Designing sustainable tourism enterprises:

• By developing a tourism strategy for the Kaputiei region, AWF will shore up the ecosystem of Nairobi National Park by providing economic incentives to communities while widening its conservation footprint.

For more than 50 years, Nairobi National Park has served as a wildlife jewel and tourism hub in a country world-renowned for its commitment to conservation. The Kitengela Conservation Project envisions the park thriving for another 50 years and beyond. Stay tuned for more updates and information.

The Olmakau Maasai Cultural Village will be one of such beneficiaries from the project. The village is located a few hundred meters from the southern boundary of the park, a walking distance from the hippo pool picnic site. The project, together with other stakeholders, is working at helping them improve the cultural village outlook and their services, which will lead to increased tourism visits to the village and increased revenue for the women who manage the village.