Community conservation leaders gather in Nairobi to forge social contract on wildlife

Azzedine Downes, Professor Judi Wakhungu, Jackson Looseyia and other speakers at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi for the event (Pat Awori)

The Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA) working in partnership with the Conservation Alliance of Kenya (CAK) held a meeting of conservationists and key influencers in Nairobi last month to forge a social contract, calling on communities living with wildlife to reconnect with and work towards the conservation of Kenya’s natural heritage.

The meeting, hosted at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi, focused on the urgent need for both private landowners and the community more widely to maintain open space for wildlife, reduce human wildlife conflict and end the illegal wildlife trade. The Cabinet Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, Professor Judi Wakhungu was in attendance, as well as Pat Awori and other conservationists, traditional leaders and community members.

Steve Itela, Director of Operations and Partnerships at the Africa Network for Animal Welfare said: “We couldn’t do conservation without the people. Wildlife exists because of people. We want to reconnect with the wildlife. The whole focus here is to review our past strategies which seem not to have worked, and to see how we can create new innovative ideas that will actually bring wildlife and people together.”

At the meeting it was discussed how local communities, particularly those living nearest to wildlife, could attain coexistence with their natural environment, and reduce costs associated with living with wildlife. The community and conservation leaders pledged to take action in order to conserve wildlife and the iconic species which Kenya's image and economy is dependent upon.

The meeting was one of a series of events leading up to the Giants Club Summit and the Ivory Burn held on April 29^th and 30^th. It united traditional leaders, community members, private conservancy owners and conservationists from different regions and conservation areas, in a bid to sustain and promote reconnection with wildlife.

Amongst those speaking at the event were Tom Lalampaa, Chief Programmes Officer of the Northern Rangelands Trust; Dickson Kaelo, Founding Chief Executive Officer of the KWCA and Samson Parashina, Maasai Warrior and President and Chairman of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.

“This event is very important for all communities around the entire country, from the Kenyan coast through Nairobi into the Mara, then across into Laikipia – every single part of the country is represented here with one voice. We want to conserve and protect the wildlife and the habitat of these animals,” said Jackson Looseyia, Mara safari guide and businessman, and a panellist at the event.