WEST GATE COMMUNITY CONSERVANCY

Background

West Gate Community Conservancy borders Samburu National Reserve to its south, Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy to its east, Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust to the north, and Meibae Community Conservancy to the northwest. Its southern and western boundary is the Ewaso Ngiro River. The conservancy was initiated by the owners of Ngutuk Ongiron Group Ranch in 2004 and is managed by a group of representatives elected among its registered members at its Annual General Meetings.

The goal of West Gate Community Conservancy is to “provide a platform for sustainable protection and utilization of resources within NOGR for income generation through eco-friendly tourism activities that shall address health, water, education, livestock, and infrastructure and wealth creation for future generations.” As the development arm of the Ngutuk Ongiron Group Ranch, the conservancy also ensures the equitable distribution of benefits accrued from the utilisation of natural resources within the Group Ranch. The conservancy also acts as an entry point through which other programmes are extended to community members by government agencies, NGOs and investors. Through the three core programs of conservation, tourism and community development, income generation is diversified as a means of reducing poverty levels.  

Species Conservation

West Gate Community Conservancy is home to waterbuck, elephant, lesser kudu, warthog, Grant’s gazelle, Somali Ostrich, impala, and other wildlife. More significantly, it is one of the most important areas for the endangered Grevy’s Zebra. Herds of up to 500 Grevy’s zebra can be seen on the Naibelibeli plains while the population moves between the community conservancies in the north and the Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves to the south. The conservancy has made the conservation of this species one of their top priorities and closely monitors the species as well as their habitat to ensure that the conservancy retains its ecological importance for this species. West Gate community scouts provide critical support to the conservation of Grevy’s zebra through anti-poaching and wildlife monitoring activities within and surrounding the conservation area. They also assist with anti-poaching activities in the neighbourhoods of the conservancy, as well as assisting wildlife in emergencies.

The Grevy’s Zebra Trust

The Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT) was established to conserve Grevy’s zebra in collaboration with local communities. It recognises and supports the critical role played by pastoral people whose livelihoods are inextricably linked to the same fragile ecosystem. The Grevy’s zebra has undergone a catastrophic decline in the past 30 years and now only occurs in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. The Ethiopian population is less than 100 and still declining, whereas in Kenya the population is believed to be 2,500 and stable, largely as a result of the establishment of the NRT community conservancies and grass roots awareness campaigns. GZT works closely with NRT and the community conservancies in collaborative conservations efforts, including Grevy’s zebra research and monitoring, habitat restoration, improving resource access, disease mitigation, and awareness creation. Management actions that are taken to help Grevy’s zebra also help other endangered, threatened and migratory species including African elephants, African wild dogs and cheetahs. Find out more at www.grevyszebratrust.org.

Business Development

The conservancy currently houses a very successful luxury tented camp - Sasaab - on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River. The 18-bed camp opened in 2007 and is managed by the external operator Tamimi Company Limited. Opened in 2007, Sasaab has been a vitally important part of West Gate’s conservation and community development efforts. The tourism operation provides many employment opportunities for members of the local community. and the conservancy receives income from the operation through conservation and bednight fees charged to guests. From this revenue, 60 percent goes towards funding community projects (such as school bursaries or water projects) while 40 percent goes towards financing annual operating costs of the conservancy. Sasaab supports local women’s groups through purchasing crafts for sale in their gift shop and also provides income to local communities by taking guests on cultural manyatta visits.

Women’s groups in West Gate are working to produce unique crafts and gift items for guests staying at Sasaab and for sale in regional and international markets facilitated through NRT Training. Women have gained access to formal and informal training sessions on business and product development, accounting skills, understanding markets and loan repayment schedules. Through the support of ICEP, a micro-credit programme gave women access to micro-loans to support business development, product diversification and purchasing raw materials.

The Future of West Gate Community Conservancy

• Continued strengthening of wildlife security and monitoring within  the conservancy and its neighbourhood through the WGCC scout team;
• Purchase a dedicated conservancy vehicle ;
• Purchase of communication equipments for the scouts in the field to strengthen communication in the conservancy and to neighbouring conservancies;
• Continued range rehabilitation in the buffer zone;
• Formation of WGCC as a company and trust;
• Strengthen  business relations with mobile tour operators;
• Strengthen partnerships with various organizations with similar goals and objectives in the field of conservation.