The Ruko Community Wildlife Trust is situated on 19,000 acres on the eastern shore of Lake Baringo, an area of semi-desert in the northern Rift Valley. The freshwater lake is an oasis the arid landscape and is home to large populations of hippo, crocodile and over 400 species of bird. The Trust was formed to unite the two tribes of Rugus and Komolion area, the Njemps and Pokot, to bring peace and prosperity to their environment and communities.

Ruko is the eastern most conservancy of the Northern Rangelands Trust. It is unique from the others in that its foundation for wildlife conservation is peace keeping.

Conflict Resolution
Historically conflict has existed between the Njemps and Pokot people over grazing rights and access to water for their livestock. By ensuring equal participation from both communities in the Trust it is believed that areas of conflict between the two tribes will be resolved allowing them both to benefit from the region and create a sustainable future for their people, livestock, environment and wildlife.

Although the Trust has only recently been set up, a conservation area has been established and members from the Njemps and Pokot tribes are undergoing security training so that they can safeguard the Conservancy. Plans are also underway to reintroduce Baringo giraffe (Rothschild giraffe) to the conservancy. In time the project hopes to translocate black rhino, oryx, eland and gerenuk back into the area as well. In order for the communities to benefit from the presence of wildlife on their land, the project is going to build two community-run eco lodges on the conservancy. Equal distribution of income from the lodges and other planned income generating activities will ensure the standard of living for both communities is greatly improved.

More about RCWT

Conservation in the Lamu region has been pooled into one organization called the Lamu Marine Conservation Trust with Manda Bay and other co-managers working towards protecting certain waters within the Lamu archipelago. There is a well established Turtle project, which monitors the hatching of nests and salvaging trapped turtles. This area is significant for its marine biodiversity as it has a distinct coral reef ecosystem with diverse coral assemblages which host a wide variety of tropical fish species. The marine resources however face various environmental and anthropogenic challenges pushing this asset on the wall of perish.
In addition to this, Manda Bay has had a long term relationship with the Manda Primary school in providing financial assistance in the re-building of the classrooms and supplying of books and writing materials. This school takes children from age 6 – 15 years and well established and registered by the Kenyan board of Examiners for School Certification.
There are many other community projects within the area such as establishing a mobile boat clinic to service the islanders with medical assistance and supplies. We are working all the time with local chiefs and administration in an effort to preserve this valuable inheritance.

The Roberts interest in conservation began from early childhood, growing up with their parents and their fabulous array of tame animals on the shores of Lake Baringo. After their father died in 1966 Willie assisted his mother in the capture of rare bird and small mammal species for export to zoos focusing on breeding rare species around the world.

In 1990 Willie Joined the newly formed Kenya Wildlife Service to assist Dr Richard Leakey in his effort to reform Kenya's wildlife sector. Here Willie commanded the Mara Platoon for a year before moving on to work on the formation of  the Ol-Choro Land Owners Association in the Masai Mara. The Association, that still exists today, was unique within Kenya at the time. It is a democratic legal entity with a Board on which each family owning land in the Association area is represented. Although the Masai communities had lived comfortably with wildlife, they had been unable to benefit economically from its presence on their land and had allowed a trend of encroaching agriculture.  The High Court of Kenya established the right of the Association to collect wildlife based tourism revenues on its land, thereby setting a revolutionary precedent.  The Association achieved a much higher revenue per acre from wildlife tourism than from agriculture, leading to a large portion of the agricultural land within the Mara dispersal area reverting to conservation and thereby protecting the dispersal area of the Mara into perpetuity. Willie's son Richard still lives here and has converted their home into the well know Richard's Camp, that continues to support this conservation initiative.

Because of the success of the Association, Willie was asked to select an expert team to propose a model demonstrating that a non profit private sector organization could sustainably improve management and increase revenues to the Trans Mara County Council, the legal custodians of the park. The proposals were approved and the Mara Conservancy, that still exists today, was formed. The animals there today are safer and have significantly increased in numbers. The Mara / Serengeti ecosystem and its dispersal areas now enjoy World Heritage status.

Willie and his wife Sue have now moved to Northern Kenya where they have purchased an area of land and  built their home and the Sirikoi eco-lodge. This land is surrounded by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and has since been incorporated into it.  Willie and Sue continue to raise funds in support of worthy conservation causes in East Africa.

Rutundu provides housing and logistical support to the Bill Woodley Mt Kenya Trust anti-poaching teams.  These teams are the eyes and ears to monitor the illegal killing of wildlife for bush meat. Rutundu provides radio communication with Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Kenya Wildlife Service to respond to any such killing of wildlife. These teams are proactive throughout the entire area.  Since their establishment many species of wildlife have increased, in particular, eland and buffalo, which now recognise Rutundu as a safe area.  Rutundu is located at the top end of an important elephant corridor linking northern Kenya & Lewa to Mount Kenya.  The presence of good surveillance, communications and subsequent follow up has resulted in a more stable and well established elephant population within the forest.

The Wider Community
Borana Ranch has always had an interest in the welfare of his neighbours and has always been aware of the necessity to improve their welfare and basic standard of living.

Women's Groups
Borana Supports three women's groups in the area. All three are involved in beading different articles which are then sold.

Mobile Clinic
The Borana Mobile Clinic is now visiting 12 locations and 6 primary schools within East Laikipia on a bi-monthly basis.

Education Support Project
Borana has now been involved in raising money for our five local primary schools for five years. Sadly these schools are basically neglected by the local government due to their inaccessibility and the poverty levels of local inhabitants.

Borana Forestry Project
In January 2002, Michael Nickels was asked to set up a Dryland forestry project on behalf of Borana for the surrounding community of Ngare Ndare Village. The aim of the project was to convert the 25 acres of severely eroded land into a productive agro forestry project.

Read about the community, conservation and Borana on their website

 

The RAE Charitable Trust has worked with local Kenyan communities for over two decades to successfully transform degraded drylands into profitable rangelands for the benefit of the people and the environment.

The RAE Trust Programme:

Today, people of Baringo Kenya are ascending out of poverty through the profitable utlilisation of their improved drylands. This has been made possible through the multifaceted RAE Trust programme.
By working closely with the local people, the RAE programme has successfully reclaimed degraded semi-arid land and established sustainable income generating opportunities on well managed productive grass fields. The RAE programme is based on the active participation of pastoralist communities to meet local needs as defined by both men and women.
RAE’s participatory programme includes a range of interrelated activities and services developed through practical research, development experience and local knowledge.  The programme is dynamic in nature with local and international expertise responding to the challenges of dryland communities in Baringo, Kenya and beyond.        

RAE Charitable Trust website