To ensure a human-centred approach to improving security in northern Kenya, conservancies are investing in community policing, to complement Government agencies.

All the conservancies work closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), National Police Service, local government authorities and NRT to provide a community-led approach to reducing conflict. 

77% of livestock reported stolen in 2020 were recovered and returned to their owners through a collaboration between community conservancies, Government and NRT. This helped prevent a high number of retaliation attacks.

Each member conservancy employs a team of uniformed scouts (there are 870 across the landscape) from the local communities, who are trained at the KWS Law Enforcement Academy in Manyani. Scouts play a vital role in monitoring endangered wildlife species, conducting anti-poaching patrols, raising conservation awareness in their local communities and acting as community wildlife ambassadors. Many conservancies are home to multiple ethnic groups, and all have equal representation in the ranger teams. 

Rapid response

NRT is subservient to its member conservancies, the Kenyan government and law enforcement. NRT employs seven mobile scout teams, known as the ‘9’ teams, who operate on a regional level under the leadership of the National Police Service and KWS, focusing primarily on anti-poaching and mitigating livestock theft, when called upon by the Government. The scout teams represent the ethnic diversity of the communities they serve, and this is one of their greatest strengths. Working under the ethos of a community policing model, they collaborate closely with the authorities. Together, the 9-teams and conservancy scouts are supporting an unprecedented, landscape-level community policing initiative, which is improving security for both wildlife and people.

NRT's rapid response units spend up to 26 days every month in the field. They are wildlife guardians, peace-keepers, Police support and conservationists all rolled into one. Here, they talk to film maker Martin Buzora about their work and achievements.

Latest from peace & security

 North Kenya has a history marred with ethnic conflict and insecurity, which has hindered development, perpetuated poverty and disrupted lives for years. Now, the stakes are higher, with a growing human population competing for dwindling natural resources, a ready availability of illegal weapons and an unsteady political climate. There has never been a more critical time to support communities in the north to build peace. 

To effectively build peace between ethnic communities requires both reactive and proactive approaches to conflict.

That is why NRT’s peace programme focuses on an indigenous-led approach that facilitates the engagement of conservancy managers, local elders, interfaith religious leaders, youth, and women with county and national government to facilitate peace meetings, empower peace champions and promote nonviolent conflict resolution.

Effective and strategic community peace-building is built on a foundation of inclusive consultation throughout the process. At each phase, priority is given to listening to the community, and intentionally seeking out different voices. Community perspectives and priorities set the agenda for each subsequent meeting and activity. The conservancy and the relationship conservancies have with NRT creates a neutral platform to bring people together for dialogue – offering an alternative dispute resolution option to violence.

Over 10,000 people participated in peace-building awareness meetings in 2020. 80 peace ambassadors - 25 of whom are women - have been recruited and trained to help prevent conflict amongst their peers. Most are from conflict hotspot areas, and have been instrumental in addressing intertribal conflicts and averting livestock raids through early warning systems, gathering information, intercepting retaliatory attacks, supporting the negotiation and recovery of stolen livestock, and leading reconciliations in the community.