Nanapisho Community Conservancy covers an area of 295 km² and it links with four other community conservancies namely; Lekurruki to the South, Nasuulu to the South East, Westgate to the North East and Naapu to the North. The conservancy is fully registered as a Community Based Organization (CBO) and it is managed by the local community, mainly the Turkana and Samburu people of Northern Kenya.

Nanapisho is a communal land owned by two pastoral communities namely; Samburu and Turkana. These two communities agreed to form the conservancy mainly for development and peace initiatives. This was a noble and commendable decision since historically, the two communities were rivals always fighting over livestock and lands for grazing and water. Forming the conservancy created a strong bond between the two communities and forms the foundation of goodwill that enables the conservancy to be productive to date. 

Nanapisho is a very important part of the greater Northern Kenya, its landscape serves as a refuge to wildlife during dry spells and a heaven for pastoralists and their livestock. The conservancy is also located at a vintage position making it a wildlife migration route connecting to other conservancies and regions. These routes are essential for the very existence of wildlife especially the elephants which need a large area to graze and breed.

The conservancy also plays a critical role in climate mitigation through conservation of the environment using good practices compatible with the indigenous habitat. The conservancy encourages the use of dead trees for firewood and discourages cutting down of standing trees. The communities are also adopting the use of renewable energy sources like solar to power their homes as opposed to the use of kerosene lamps. A small group of community members are using gas cookers to reduce the use of firewood or charcoal for domestic purposes.

Nanapisho is solely supported by the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) on its operations every month. NRT funds monthly staff salaries, ranger’s food rations, vehicle fuel and maintenance, and office administration. NRT also supports conservancy meetings and facilitates training to make indigenous communities good ambassadors of conservation.

For the purpose of sustainability, Nanapisho has a plan of setting up a tourism facility that will be generating funds for operations and rangelands management and the conservancy as a whole. This will ensure a continuous and reliable income since tourism is the second revenue-generating sector in the country.

Conservation & Community Highlights:

1. Thriving wildlife: Conservancy members know the more wildlife they have, the more tourists they can attract.
2. Healthier lands: The conservancy has instituted new land management practices. These improved grazing patterns and resulted in healthier landscapes.
3. More jobs: A good number of community members are now employed by the conservancy as wildlife rangers.
4. Greater development: Any money the conservancy makes is shared either in form of bursaries or other development.
5. Better governance: The community conservancy locals are learning how to hold their representatives accountable and how to replace them when necessary. Meanwhile, representatives are learning how to manage resources and funds on behalf of their members.

Future Aims:

1. Reduction in poaching in the conservancy.
2. Reduction in wildlife mortality rates.
3. Reduction in environmental destruction.
4. Increase in wildlife species.
5. Reduction in cattle rustling among the indigenous communities.
6. Establishing a tourism facility.

Images provided.