Northern Rangelands Trust

30/04/2026

At NRT, we believe that sustained community engagement is key to ensuring communities are informed, involved, and able to shape decisions that influence their future.

Throughout April, we have conducted over 22 community engagement meetings across the western Turkana borderland, including in Kalobeyei and Letea wards in Kakuma Sub-County.

These engagements brought together local leaders, women and youth groups, elders, and community members — creating space for open dialogue on governance, ecological restoration, and livelihoods.

Through a mix of community meetings, focus group discussions, and stakeholder sessions, the engagements supported Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) discussions — helping communities understand the NRT community conservancy model and guiding early decisions around governance and the potential establishment of conservancies.

Conversations also explored the potential of cross-border ecological connectivity to support sustainable livelihoods, including conservancy-based tourism and other community-led enterprises.

Together, these engagements highlight the importance of community participation and inclusive decision-making — where communities and other key stakeholders actively shape the management of their landscapes and resources.

These efforts form part of the European Union-funded initiative, “𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘈𝘥𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘰–𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘜𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘺𝘢,” implemented by NRT in close collaboration with partners in Kenya and Uganda.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 European Union in Uganda and European Union in Kenya.

27/04/2026

Peace is built through dialogue, trust, and the willingness to choose a different path.

Today, a two-day peace forum in Isiolo comes to a close, bringing together 105 morans from 18 NRT member community conservancies across Laikipia, Isiolo, Samburu and Marsabit counties.

Facilitated by NRT’s Peace team, the forum created space for engagement between morans, elders, conservancy leaders, peace ambassadors, grazing committee members, religious leaders, and National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs).

In recent months, parts of Laikipia, Meru and Isiolo counties have experienced rising insecurity driven by resource scarcity, the effects of climate change, and increased movement across landscapes — intensifying competition over grazing areas and, in some cases, leading to conflict and livestock loss.

Against this backdrop, participants reflected on these challenges and explored the role morans can play in fostering peace and cohesion within their communities.

A strong message throughout the forum was the call for morans to take a leading role as champions of peace — while also embracing alternative livelihood pathways that support stability and long-term resilience.

As the forum concludes, there is a shared commitment to strengthening peace from within communities — led by those best placed to shape a more secure and hopeful future.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 The Nature Conservancy in Africa.

23/04/2026

📣 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴!

The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) is seeking passionate and qualified professionals to join our team and support community-led conservation and sustainable development across Kenya.

We are currently recruiting for the following positions:

• 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 – 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 (Kakuma)

• 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 (Nanyuki)

These roles will support key initiatives focused on strengthening community conservancies, restoring ecosystems, and building climate-resilient livelihoods.

📅 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: Friday, 8th May 2026

🔗 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://www.nrt-kenya.org/vacancies

Join us in driving lasting impact for communities, wildlife, and landscapes.

07/04/2026

This week, our rangelands team is working closely with communities in Naibunga Upper Community Conservancy, Laikipia County, to restore degraded grazing areas through targeted landscape rehabilitation efforts.

At Kiganjo, teams are digging over 4,000 semi-circular earth bunds across 56 hectares of land where invasive cactus (𝘖𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢) was previously removed.

These bunds help capture and retain rainwater, creating the right conditions for grass to regenerate. The restored area will be reseeded with native grass species, including 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 and 𝘌𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘢, which are well adapted to the local landscape.

Through this effort, NRT is working to restore healthy rangelands — improving grazing for livestock and wildlife, enhancing habitat, and supporting long-term management of invasive species.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 Fauna & Flora.

05/04/2026

Join us in congratulating Dr. Kevit Desai, Mashinaniworks Board Chair, on his appointment as Chancellor of the University of Kabianga.

We wish him every success as he takes on this important role.

MashinaniWORKS is pleased to acknowledge the appointment of our Board Chair, Dr. Kevit Desai, as Chancellor of University of Kabianga. This appointment was announced in the Gazette Notice of Thursday, April 2, 2026, by H.E. President William Ruto.

We extend our warmest congratulations and wish Dr. Desai every success as he assumes this distinguished role👏🏽

03/04/2026

Across northeastern Uganda, strong community governance is shaping the future of conservation and livelihoods.

This week, Morungole Community Conservancy held its Annual General Meeting, bringing together community members from five sub-counties, local government leaders, and partners including the Uganda Conservation Foundation and the National Forestry Authority.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on progress, discuss key challenges, and set priorities for the future — with a strong focus on conservation, community development, and sustainable resource use.

These discussions build on recent community engagements held across Morungole and Naperotom Community Conservancies, where members participated in Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) meetings to guide key decisions, including plans for establishing conservancy headquarters and strengthening governance structures.

In Morungole, conversations also touched on upcoming leadership transitions, with plans underway for elections as current board members complete their terms.

Together, these processes highlight the importance of inclusive decision-making, where communities actively shape the direction of conservation efforts and the management of their conservancies.

02/04/2026

The Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project (NKRCP) workshop in Isiolo concludes today, with Day 3 focusing on strengthening a shared understanding of how the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process will be delivered in the coming weeks.

The forum today featured highly interactive and inclusive sessions, with participants exploring how best to ensure communities and stakeholders are meaningfully involved and well-informed throughout.

A key area of discussion was clarifying the roles and responsibilities of different parties, with community conservancies taking a central role in mobilizing communities, supporting communication efforts, and facilitating outreach on the ground.

Participants also emphasized the importance of clear, consistent messaging across channels — including local radio and digital platforms — as well as proper documentation to ensure transparency, accountability, and long-term credibility.

The need for making community participation a continuous process was highlighted, alongside the importance of providing safe and accessible channels for communities to share feedback, raise concerns, and participate confidently in decision-making.

As the workshop closes, there is a strong sense of collective readiness to move forward with a process that is inclusive, transparent, and firmly grounded in community leadership.

02/04/2026

🌊 Coastal communities are helping shape the future of ocean conservation.

This week, NRT’s Coast team participated in community consultations in Lamu, bringing together grassroots stakeholders from Lamu and Tana River counties.

Led by The East African Wild Life Society, with support from Oceans 5 (an international initiative working to protect marine ecosystems and support sustainable fisheries), and in partnership with NRT and Fauna & Flora, the forum convened beach management units, community forest associations, civil society groups, and local leaders to share priorities ahead of the upcoming Our Ocean Conference — a global forum that will bring together governments, organizations and stakeholders to advance ocean conservation and sustainable use.

Key issues highlighted included sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, marine protected areas, maritime security, the link between ocean health and climate change, and inclusive blue economy opportunities — ensuring that coastal community voices help inform global ocean commitments.

01/04/2026

As discussions at the Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project (NKRCP) workshop progress, Day 2 is building on the foundations laid around the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process.

The day opened with a reflection on key takeaways from Day 1, highlighting the importance of FPIC in ensuring a rights-based approach to decision-making and strengthening the long-term credibility of the project.

Participants then engaged in interactive breakout sessions, led in collaboration with Namati Kenya, to explore the legal frameworks guiding carbon projects in Kenya — including the Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulations, 2024 — and what they mean for communities participating in the project.

Further discussions focused on the draft revised Project Implementation Agreement (PIA), with participants reviewing how it supports governance, accountability, and the overall implementation of the project.

The workshop also provided space to reflect on fair and equitable benefit-sharing, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that communities — as stewards of the rangelands — are central to how project benefits are structured and delivered.

31/03/2026

Leaders and stakeholders from across NRT-member community conservancies are convening in Isiolo this week for a workshop on the Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project (NKRCP).

The meeting is bringing together representatives from the 22 participating conservancies, alongside government officials, civil society and project partners, to build a shared understanding of how the project will conduct Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) engagements in the coming weeks — a critical step in ensuring that communities are fully informed, meaningfully engaged, and able to make decisions about the project.

Discussions on Day 1 of the workshop focused on introducing the FPIC process and its importance, the proposed approach to community consultations, the roles of different stakeholders, and key areas that will require community input — including governance, participation, and benefit-sharing. Participants also reflected on the legal frameworks guiding carbon projects in Kenya, as well as NRT’s Human Rights Policy and Grievance Handling Mechanism.

As the workshop continues, these conversations will help shape a process that is transparent, inclusive, and grounded in community leadership and participation.

30/03/2026

🚤🌊 A major boost for community-led marine conservation.

NRT’s Coast team has acquired a new high-capacity boat through the support of the Embassy of Denmark in Kenya and Somalia under the DANIDA-funded Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), Water & Energy Project.

With a 300HP engine and capacity for up to 21 people, the vessel will significantly strengthen the delivery of NRT’s marine programme in Lamu — supporting ecosystem restoration, improving coordination across coastal sites, and enhancing safety for teams working at sea.

This new addition will play a key role in advancing nature-based solutions along Kenya’s coast, enabling more effective protection and restoration of critical marine ecosystems.

We appreciate the continued partnership and support from the Embassy of Denmark in advancing sustainable conservation efforts.