LAIKIPIA NATIONAL RESERVE (KIRIMUN).

THE WILD AND ITS HABITATS CANNOT SPEAK SO WE MUST AND WE WILL – THEODORE ROOSEVELT

LAIKIPIA GAME RESERVE OVERVIEW

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• The Reserve Was Formally Gazette In 1991 And Has Remained A Paper Park Since Then.
• The Reserve Hosts The African Wilddog ( Lycaon pictus) Grevys Zebra (Equus grevyi) Which Are Listed As Endangered Species The African Elephant African Lion Among Other Wildlife Species.�

STATUS OF THE OPERATIONALIZATION OF LAIKIPIA NATIONAL RESERVE�

• A Baseline Survey Has Been Carried Out.
• Legal Gazette Notice 526 Of 1991 Has Been Secured.
• A Field Visit To The Neighboring Loisaba Conservancy Has Been Done To Begin A Biodiversity Conservation Process.
• A Letter Signed By Governor To The Director General Of KWS Has Been Written To Begin Institutionalizing The Game Reserve.
• KFS has also been brought into the discussion as part of having an ecosystem approach to conservation.��

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PRIORITIES TO FAST TRACK OPERATIONALIZATION OF LNR.

• The Land And Partnership Issue Has Been Sorted With KWS And NYS.
• The Department Has Written To The Director General KWS Through The Governor To Provide A Warden To Manage The Game Reserve.
• The Ministry Of Interior And Coordinator Of Government Has Provided 15 National Police Reservists(NPR) To Serve At LNR.
• Developed a workplan with a budget of Kshs 250M to make the reserve fully operational

PRIORITIES TO FAST TRACK OPERATIONALIZATION OF LNR.

• Conducted a baseline survey to provide detailed background information
• Engaged the communities living in and around Kirimon
• Carried out a site visit with KWS and the lands office
• Trained 15 rangers who are to be armed under NPR
• Providing uni-huts and plans are in place to establish a camp at the reserve
• Deployed a vehicle for operations

FORWARD PLANNING FOR LNR

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• Development of a 10 year management plan
• Development of Laikipia Conservation Strategy
• Enactment of Laikipia Wildlife Act
• Development of a County Rangelands Rehabilitation Policy

CHALLENGES.

• Connectivity: Should Be Increased And Restored Wherever It Was Lost For The Potential Values Of Kirimun To Be Realized.
• Administrative Lacunae: A No. Of Boundaries Have Not Been Clearly Demarcated Or Known On The Ground Thus Creating Difficulty In Provision Of The Government Administrative Services And Regulation.
• Illegal Settlement And Development Of Permanent Structures; Most Of Which Are Houses Belonging To The Approximately 2000 People Resident In The Reserve.

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THE ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC VALUES OF LNR TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF LAIKIPIA

• Habitat Rehabilitation And Ecosystem Restoration.
• Opportunity To Re-introduce And Conserve Endangered Species
• Reclaim Land From Illegal Settlers, Grazers & Charcoal Burning.
• Sustainable Use Of The Resources Such As Water And Forest.
• Reduce Illegal Killing Of Elephants, Poaching And Human-wildlife Conflict
• Opportunity To Generate Revenue Through Tourism
• Opportunity To Attract Investors And Boost Economic Growth.
• Achieving The Aichi Biodiversity Targets Which Is A Holistic Approach In Conservation And Main Goal Of LNR.

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THE ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC VALUES OF LNR TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF LAIKIPIA

SOCIO-ECONOMIC VALUES OF LNR TO THE COMMUNITY.

• Creating Jobs And Business Opportunities For Laikipians.
• Income From The From Park Revenue Given To Communities as incentive.
• Opportunity For Communities To Participate In Wildlife Conservation Through Community Based Conservation
• Improving Security In The Area.
• Improve Transport And Communication Network
• Reducing Human-wildlife Conflict
• Market For Farm Produce
• Opportunity To Manage Disease Transmission At The Wildlife- Livestock- Humans Interface.
• Opportunity For The Community To Showcase Their Culture As A Way Of Diversifying Their Income.

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CONTRIBUTION OF THE LNR TO COUNTY & NATIONAL TARGETS.

LNR WILL HELP LAIKIPIA COUNTY REALIZE GOALS: 1 4 8 9 11 13 15 16 17 OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.

THANK YOU !�LAIKIPIA COUNTY WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TEAM.