Laikipia County Natural Resources Network

The formation of LAICONAR was arrived at after a series of consultations on agriculture and natural resources developments in the county that identified an existing gap with regard to their management and governance in Laikipia County. LAICONAR is membership-based and has a well spelt out mandate outlined in its constitution and objectives.

In its objectives, LAICONAR aims at providing a mechanism and a platform where issues of public interest ranging from formulation or review of county legislation to their implementation will be discussed while at the same time providing necessary avenues for public involvement in propagation of best agricultural practices and in management and governance of environment and natural resources at county level.

As a public interest Forum, LAICONAR works and networks with all the concerned stakeholders to see to it that there is sustainable land use practices and management of natural resources in Laikipia County, the Network also aims at promoting and enhancing information sharing and exchange between its members and mandated institutions on the mentioned subjects within the county.

Membership status

The network has over 30 member organisations across Laikipia County

Organization milestones

For the past six (6) years this Network has had various achievements.

Below mentioned achievements have been made through generous support from its partners. They include, but not limited to:

Laikipia, 2012-2014 – The Network positioning itself and strategically taking advantage of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and earning county government’s recognition as a relevant authority on ENR management and governance. Also rallied and networked like-minded institutions in the region promoting and enhancing information sharing and exchange on E&NR management and governance

Laikipia County – Invitation by the County Government of Laikipia in various of consultative fora that led to the successful development and adoption of the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) for both terms

Laikipia County, 2013 – Active part of efforts to address issues regarding human-wildlife conflict in the County. For example, it intervened and helped in the resolution of recurrent human-wildlife conflict incidents at Chumvi and Ngobit. Consequently, Network appointed member of County Human-Wildlife Technical Committee

Nakuru, 2013 – Produced and aired Radio advocacy programmes on land issues funded by Act Change Transform (Act!) through  Tree is Life Trust (TILT)

Nairobi, June 2013 – Platform Lesson learning and experience sharing among county natural resource citizen forums organized by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Laikipia County, 2014 – Member and Chair of the Environment Working Group Committee of the Agriculture Sector Development Support Program (ASDSP), Laikipia County. Actively involved in production and dissemination of ‘real time’ weather based advisories to, among others, Laikipia agro-pastoral communities

Laikipia County, 2014 – Fostering public participation and consultation – mobilized relevant stakeholders to interrogate the Laikipia County Water and Sanitation Services Bill 2014 and Wildlife Conservation and Management Bill 2014

Nanyuki, 2014 – Coordinator and key stakeholder in the capacity building and periodic review of the Mt. Kenya Biosphere Reserve with UNESCO; becoming a member of the Conservation, Advocacy and Implementation Committee

Rumuruti, 2014 – Engaged with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) in negotiating for tourism opportunity for communities in Rumuruti forest through the Rumuruti Forest Association (RFA)

Nanyuki, April 2014 – Rapport building with CECs on Environment  from Meru, Nyandarua, Nyeri and Laikipia with a view to influencing development of pro-sustainable development laws in the region

Nanyuki, May 2014 – Together with Ecoagriculture Partners, Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) and World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) convened a Policy Dialogue Meeting converging County and National Government policy makers

Nyahururu, June 2014 – Participated in the GEF SGP Landscape Strategy Workshop for Laikipia county

Nairobi, June 2014 – Participated in the Indigenous Peoples’ & Community Conserved Territories & Areas (ICCAs) meeting

Nairobi, June 2014 – Represented Laikipia landscape in the Public Policy for Integrated Landscape Management in Kenya. The landscape conference was organized by, among others, Ecoagriculture Partners and ICRAF

Bangkok, Thailand, November 2014 – Shared insights through a Case Study presentation on collaborative and integrated management of landscapes at the international level in Landscape Leadership Course organized by Centre for Development Innovation (CDI) and RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests in Bangkok, Thailand.

Nanyuki, December 2014 – LAICONAR done a Landscapes for People, Food and Nature (LPFN) Institutional  Performance Assessment with Kijabe Environment Volunteer (KENVO)

Nairobi, December 2014 – LAICONAR represented in the 3^rd Annual Environmental Civil Society Organizations Conference on Natural Resource Management and Devolved Governance in Kenya

Nairobi, February 2015 – Attended Livestock Stakeholders’ Workshop organized by Solidaridad – Eastern & Central Africa Expertise Centre

Nanyuki, April 2015 – Conducted Laikipia Landscape Grantee Capacity Building Workshop on Best Practices courtesy of Ecoagriculture Partners– Landscapes for People, Food and Nature initiative (LPFN) through the East African Wild Life Society (EAWLS) and Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO). For more info please visit:  www.peoplefoodandnature.org/landscape/laikipia-county-kenya/

Nanyuki, April 2015 – Elected member of the Laikipia County CSOs Committee launched by H.E. Governor Laikipia County. The meeting was organized by Uraia Trust and NGO Board

Nanyuki, April 2015 – LAICONAR launched its Strategic Plan (2015-2019) in a ceremony graced by H.E. Hon. Joshua Irungu, Governor, Laikipia County

Nanyuki, May 2015 – Coordinated UNDP GEF SGP EcoFair during the World Biological Diversity Day at Likii primary school. Prof J Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources, Kenya graced the national event

Nanyuki, May 2015 – LAICONAR interviewed for the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) Programme by Kenya Wildlife Training Institute (KWSTI)

Nanyuki, May 2015 – Participated in the Sensitization  Workshop for Members/Stakeholders of County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee (CWCCC) organized by Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda (STTA)

Nairobi, June 2015 – Represented Laikipia landscape in the Public Policy for Integrated Landscape Management in Kenya. The landscape conference was organized by, among others, Ecoagriculture Partners

Juja, June 2015 – Active participation in the East African Learning Landscape Regional Knowledge Exchange organized by Ecoagriculture Partners

Nanyuki, June 2015 – Courtesy of Ecoagriculture Partners – Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative (LPFN), LAICONAR gave small grants to producer groups across the county: Kijabe Integrated Youth Against HIV AIDS and Poverty (northen Laikipia); Ruai Beekeepers Cooperative Society Limited (central Laikipia); Koita Akorino Irrigation Water Project (eastern Laikipia); and Ng’arua Community Development Initiative Forum (western Laikipia)

Nanyuki, June 2015 – Actively involved in the validation of the State of The Environment Report (SoE) and of the County Environment Action Plan (CEAP). The meeting was convened by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Laikipia County

Nanyuki, June 2015 – LAICONAR and the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute (KWSTI) coordinated the Laikipia Landscape Resilience Dialogue. LAICONAR was the focal entry point for Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) in, among 3 distinct landscapes, the Laikipia Landscape, Kenya in the Horn of Africa. Other landscapes are the city-region of Djibouti and the Central Rift Valley (CRV) of Ethiopia. This landscape resilience dialogue was convened by The Rockefeller Foundation and USAID

Nanyuki, July–August 2015 – Coordinated the County Inception Workshop – Rural Water and Sanitation Programme – organized by Water Services Trust Fund (WSTF)

Nanyuki, August 2015 – LAICONAR together with RECONCILE and National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) launched the Laikipia County ASAL Forum (ASF)

Naivasha, October 2015 – Active participation in the CSOs Dialogue on Land and Natural Resource Reforms convened jointly by FAO, Kenya Natural Resource Alliance (KeNRA), RECONCILE, Kenya Land Alliance, Pamoja Trust and Pamoja Tutetee Haki

Laikipia, 2016 – LAICONAR coordinating formation of the 1st County Environment and Natural Resource Secretariat. It is nominated by other stakeholders to steer the Secretariat. These stakeholders include: Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF), Centre for Training and Integrated Research in ASAL Development (CETRAD), Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Authority (ENNDA), Laikipia County Meteorological Services Department, Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme (ASDSP), County Resilience and Global CBO

2017 – 2020 – LAICONAR, through member organisations, promotes conservation agriculture among other climate-smart and Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) practices in Laikipia West,  Laikipia Central and Laikipia East. Network also specialises in advocacy on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Management.

Arusha,  Tanzania,  November 2019 – LAICONAR part of Africa Landscapes Dialogue organised by Ecoagriculture Partners. Also part of a parallel meeting for various Landscapes from Kenya.

Laikipia, presently and over the last three (3) years has had various achievements. These include, but not limited to, it being represented in the Laikipia Wildlife Forum Board of Directors and core role in organization and actualizations of various environmental events in the county such as 2019 World Wetlands Day in Rumuruti on 2 February 2019

LAICONAR is always keen to forge partnerships with like-minded players in propagation of best agroecological and natural resource management practices across Laikipia landscape.