Focus on Conservancies: Blessing of the ASALs

I have always been biased on administration and governance aspects in land policy implementations on land use and land reform. Recently, I carried out some evaluation on implementation of Resettlement Action Plans of Hydro power transmission right of way acquisition.  However, while I was still in the fields, I developed some interest on the roles of conservancies in certain pastoral lands within the ASALs of Kenya.

I cited key issues to be addressed if the conservancies would benefit the majority of pastro-nomadic livelihoods of the herders in the ASALs or create some where there are none:-

• They need full demarcation, survey registration and titling of the lands within the group ranches that host the conservancies.
• They need adequate veterinary services and qualified extension especially tapped from the local brains
• They need security boost through training of their local morans and equipping them to secure the areas from poachers, bandits and intruders
• They need funding to set up high class accommodation and catering establishment as well as infrastructural support as ambitious as air strips, tarmac roads and payments for ecosystem services

I am yet to write more about the challenges they currently face in kenya. Lets read along in my next piece.