Restoring Nature: How Native PEP Featured at World Wildlife Day in Kenya

On 3 March, Kenya joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Wildlife Day 2025. The event/ceremony took place at Kiborgoch Community Conservancy, hosted by Lake Bogoria National Reserve in Baringo County, under this year’s theme, “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and the Planet.”

At the heart of this celebration was the Native PEP project, which has been actively working to restore degraded rangelands, promote native vegetation, and create sustainable solutions for human-wildlife coexistence. The project’s ongoing efforts align seamlessly with the theme, reinforcing the role of nature-based solutions in securing the future of both communities and biodiversity.

Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, led the national celebrations, where the government announced a KES 1 billion compensation fund for victims of human-wildlife conflict, pledging that funds will be disbursed within 90 days of an incident. Kenyans were urged to actively participate in wildlife conservation efforts to promote economic benefits and ensure sustainability for future generations.

“Plans to protect air, plans to protect water, plans to protect wildlife, are in fact, plans to protect human beings.” – CS Rebecca Miano.

Speaking at the event, stakeholders encouraged communities to establish conservancies to safeguard wildlife. Baringo Governor H.E. Benjamin Cheboi criticized the national government, arguing that while billions of shillings are collected from the tourism sector, little is reinvested into communities surrounding conservancies.

“Members of parliament, together with your office (Cabinet Secretary), can come up with a law to ensure funds collected from the tourism sector are plowed back into these regions. This way, we can develop roads, provide water, and enhance conservation efforts.” – Governor Benjamin Cheboi.

He showcased the county’s 16 conservancies and 14 geosites, crediting community-led efforts for creating wildlife corridors and economic opportunities. He emphasized sustainable models like conservation funds and carbon financing as vital for long-term success.

Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga reaffirmed KWS’s support for over 265 conservancies, highlighting Baringo’s aloe farming and wildlife breeding programs as success stories. He acknowledged funding gaps and human-wildlife conflicts, with mitigation measures such as fencing and rapid response teams.

The Native PEP project has been at the forefront of tackling these challenges by clearing invasive species, restoring rangelands using native species and advocating for sustainable land management practices. By promoting the growth of native grasses and legumes, the project fosters ecological regeneration, ensuring these vital ecosystems can support both people and wildlife for years to come.

Native PEP actively participated in World Wildlife Day, showcasing its restoration initiatives, particularly within the Kiborgoch Community Conservancy. The team engaged visitors through informational leaflets and posters, a peatland restoration demonstration, and interactive discussions on conservation.

Key contributions of Native PEP to the host community conservancy include:

• Protection of Peatlands, a crucial water source for the conservancy.
• Establishing native tree nurseries to replenish degraded lands.
• Community engagement in seed collection, ensuring sustainability and local involvement in conservation.

Additionally, the project has focused on restoring wildlife corridors by controlling the spread of Prosopis juliflora, an invasive species threatening the Kiborgoch ecosystem. This effort is being carried out in collaboration with the Woody Weeds Project (woodyweeds.org)

By integrating conservation with community livelihoods, Native PEP is reinforcing the importance of native vegetation in sustaining wildlife and human well-being. The project continues to work closely with local communities, government agencies, and conservation organizations to scale up its restoration impact.

As Kenya marks World Wildlife Day, the contributions of initiatives like Native PEP underscore the critical role of nature-based solutions in addressing climate change, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflicts. Strengthening these efforts will ensure a more resilient ecosystem that benefits both the environment and local communities.

Prepared by: Simon Thangu