The Laikipia County Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, in partnership with the Kenya Directorate of Veterinary Services, and the World Vision – Imara Program, has embarked on a livestock identification and traceability system programme in the County. The process involves tagging every animal with an electronic tag that is GPRS enabled. The tag also…
Environmental shocks such as droughts and flooding can cause problems for any community. But communities whose livelihoods depend on scarce resources and are poor are particularly vulnerable. In the Ewaso Basin, where its population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, recurrent droughts and floods are increasingly creating poverty traps for many households. Poverty and hunger…
“Plant a tree and leave a green legacy,” Deputy County Commissioner, Esther Mwamure. Storm Water and Environment Management Forum (SWEMF) is a Community Based Organization, initiated by Francis Githui, and was registered in 2018. They have been at the forefront of efforts for environmental conservation and management along our local rivers. SWEMF aims to rehabilitate…
‘The People Beyond the Poaching’ is a 32-page report on the illegal trade in wildlife based on interviews with 73 convicted offenders in South Africa. The producer of the report—and this 9:22 film—is TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. This is a fascinating report on the people behind the poaching in South Africa. It’s a…
The County Government of Laikipia and stakeholders continue to work on mitigation measures to curb the spread of the Opuntia Stricta and the Acacia Reficiens. They firmly believe that the development of an Invasive species management plan is the best action to take us forward in our efforts. The exponential spread of these invasive species has for years…
Over 60% of Kenya’s land mass is community land. Most of this land falls within the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya. The 1968 Act legalized the ownership and occupation of land by a group of people, and provided the legal basis for the establishment of group ranches. These group ranches have now become somewhat famous in conservation areas…
What makes for an appealing safari and fundraiser these days? It appears that a bike and hike combination, dedicated to conservation and outdoor adventure works wonders! Between February 1st and 12th, 8 adventure clients from the USA joined the Adventure for Rhinos safari- a multi-sport adventure dedicated to rhino conservation in the Laikipia landscape. Starting…
Alex Lekalaile the Rangeland Coordinator for Westgate in Samburu County collects data on Acacia reficiens LWF is working with NRT and conservancies with support from the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), and the World Agroforestry Center to map the current extent of Opuntia stricta and Acacia reficiens in conservancies of Laikipia…
Last week, Laikipia County Government, through the office of the Governor, formed 5 strategic working groups that will help find sustainable solutions towards eradicating, controlling and managing the invasive species, Opuntia Stricta. Formation of the working groups was pegged to the different mechanisms that are currently being used as solutions to managing the species. This…
Opuntia Stricta – prickly pear – remains an invasive species threat in Laikipia. Laikipia County Government has been in the forefront of discussions on how to address this invasive species. On February 22, 2019, the County Department of Water, Environment and Natural Resources, led the third follow-up stakeholder workshop to agree a way forward on…