1. The Role of Evidence in Policy Making
Case Study
Development of Kenya National Wildlife Conservation and
Management Strategy
Mohammed Y Said
PRISE Team
Workshop
Research to Inform Agricultural and Food Security Policy and Practice in Kenya
19th – 21st ILRI, Nairobi

2. National Wildlife
Conservation and
Management Strategy

3. Presentation Outline
•Why a Strategy?
•Strategy Formulation Process
•The STRATEGY

4. 4
I. WHY A STRATEGY?
• Historical Context
• Status of wildlife in Kenya
• Purpose
• Objectives
•Policy Context

5. Historical Context

6. Science evidence - Wildlife trends

7. Natural Capital and Wildlife Corridor

9. The first conservancy started in the Mara was
supported by the Reto-o-Reto program
administered by ILRI. At the moment there are
more than 150 conservancy and are supported by
Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association.

10. Footer text here 10
Purpose of the Strategy
• Long term vision for conservation, with priorities and clear
action plans for 5 years
• Framework for implementing wildlife conservation
• Set targets and impact pathways
• Measures of success – through monitoring and learning
• Cross-sectoral engagement and coordination

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Objectives of the Strategy
• Set national targets and indicators
• Secure wildlife habitats, dispersal areas and corridors
• Promote evidence-based integrated planning
• Stop poaching and illegal wildlife trade
• Address Human Wildlife Conflict
• Establish long-term funding
• Establish effective monitoring and reporting systems
• Strengthen cooperative management of wildlife resources

12. Wildlife
Strategy
Wildlife Policy
Wildlife Act, 2013
Regulations and
Guidelines
Policy and Legal Context

13. 13
African Monarch Butterfly
II. STRATEGY FORMULATION PROCESS
•Coordination and Planning
•Approach and Methods
•Guiding Principles
•Theory of Change

14. 14
Coordination & Planning
• Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR)- Stewardship
of process
• USAID through the Department of the Interior (DOI) – Financial support
• National Steering Committee (NSC) – Cross-sectoral integration and
policy direction
• Synthesis team (ST) – Coordination of process, synthesizing all
information and public participation.
• African Conservation Centre (ACC) – Technical, and administrative
services

15. Approach and Methodology
• Review of existing strategies
• Documentation of best practice
• Focus group discussions
• Technical input from experts
• Key stakeholder consultations
• Broad public participation

16. • Devolution
• Public participation
• Ecosystem approach
• Conservation as a land-use
• Benefits to the land user
• Sustainable utilization
• Equitable benefit sharing
Guiding Principles

17. Theory of Change
DPSIR
Literature
Experts
Public
Participation
Grass
Roots
KEY GOAL
AREAS
DESIRED
STATE
STRATEGIES
1. Space
2. Species
3. Engagement
4. Benefits
5. Knowledge
6. Capacity
7. Sustainability

18. Meetings with Counties, Conservancies, Landowners..

19. DPSIR Framework

20. Defining Goals
• What is the current state
of wildlife conservation?
• What is the Desired state?
• Strategies required to
move us to desired state?
• Goals > Strategies>Actions

21. Situational Analysis
Ecosystems
DRIVERS Savanna Forest Mountain Freshwater
Marine and
Coastal
Cropland Urban
Human Population 2 3 2 3 2 2 3
Climate Change 2 2 3 2 3 2 2
Poverty 2 2 1 2 2 3 3
Land Use Change 3 3 1 3 2 2 3
PRESSURES Savanna Forest Mountain Freshwater
Marine and
Coastal
Cropland Urban
Habitat Loss 2 3 2 2 2 2 2
Fragmentation 3 3 3
Degradation 3 2 2 3 3 2 3
Over utilization 3 3 3 3 2 2
Poaching 3 2 2 3
Illegal Wildlife Trade 3 2 3
Human Wildlife Conflict 3 3 2
Pollution 3 3 3 3
Invasive Species 2 2 3 2 2
Siltation 3 2
Water abstraction 3 2 3
1 Low Impact
2 Medium Impact
3 Severe Impact

22. Wildlife trends in Kenya rangelands
Source: Ogutu et al., 2016

23. III. THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
•Vision and Objectives
•Four Pillars of Conservation
•Goals
•Strategies
•Vision for the Future

24. “Kenya’s wildlife is healthy
and resilient to threats and
valued by Kenyans.”
Vision

25. Resilient Species and Ecosystems
1.Ecosystems
2.Species
Engagement of All
Kenyans
3. Education and
Awareness
4. Access and
Benefits
Evidence Based
Decision Making
5. Research and
Knowledge
6. Capacity and
Training
7. Sustainability
Devolution, Governance, and Finance
Kenya’s wildlife is
healthy and resilient to
threats and valued by
Kenyans
1.Evidence Based Decision
Making
2.Engagement of ALL Kenya
3.Resilient Species and
Ecosystems
4.Sustainability
Four Pillars of Conservation

26. 1
ECOSYSTEMS- WINNING SPACE FOR WILDLIFE
2
PROTECTING SPECIES AND REDUCING CONFLICT
3
ENGAGEMENT BY ALL
4
WILDLIFE USER RIGHTS AND BENEFIT SHARING
5
RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION
6
CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING
7
SUSTAINABILITITY, FINANCE, AND
GOVERNANCE

27. Maintain and improve habitat and ecosystem integrity to reduce biodiversity loss, protect ecosystem function,
enhance connectivity, and increase resilience
1
ECOSYSTEMS - WINNING SPACE FOR WILDLIFE
STRATEGIES: To maintain and improve habitat and
ecosystem integrity
1.1 SECURE KEY CONSERVATION AREAS
Increase understanding of ecosystem functioning through identification of MVCAs,
prioritization and securing of key conservation areas and ecosystems to enhance the
effectiveness of conservation investments and interventions.
1.2 INTEGRATED LAND-USE PLANNING
Support integrated data driven land-use planning at regional (transboundary), national,
county, PA and ecosystem level to enhance the protection of wildlife habitat, ecosystem
services, and reduce biodiversity loss.
1.3 PROTECT, REHABILITATE AND RESTORE CONNECTIVITY
Protect, rehabilitate, and restore the connectivity of wildlife habitats, including forests,
savannas, freshwater, marine, and mountain ecosystems to increase the resilience of key
habitats and ecosystems.
1

28. Increase the awareness and appreciation of wildlife, and motivate support and action by ALL KENYANs, to
enhance participation in conservation
3
PARTICIPATION - ENGAGEMENT BY ALL
STRATEGIES – create awareness, motivate and support
action by all Kenyans in conservation
3.1 INCREASING AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION
Increase awareness and understanding to enhance appreciation and encourage action by all.
3.2 PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION
Foster partnership and collaboration among stakeholders to mainstream conservation action
across all sectors of society.
3.3 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
Engage the public, youth, and communities through targeted education and outreach efforts,
and stewardship opportunities to enhance participation.
3

29. Increase knowledge and information access and use to support evidence based decision making and adaptive
management
5
RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION
STRATEGIES – Increasing knowledge, information
access and use to support decision making
5.1 EVIDENCE BASED MANAGEMENT
Support wildlife conservation and management decisions and actions with the best available
knowledge derived from natural, social sciences, and traditional knowledge
5.2 DATA MANAGEMENT AND BIOINFORMATICS PLATFORM
Develop data and information management systems as part of a BioInformatics Platform, to
ensure data quality, enhance data sharing, and promote access and use of information.
5.3 COORDINATE RESEARCH AND MONITORING FOR IMPACT
Strengthen the coordination and implementation of research, monitoring, and modelling of
ecosystems and wildlife, climate, land use and other scenarios to support effective
management.
5

30. Develop an effective governance structure and sustainable financing framework to support conservation actions,
and improve accountability and transparency on conservation financing
7
SUSTAINABILITITY, FINANCE, AND GOVERNANCE
STRATEGIES- Effective governance and sustainable
financing
7.1 FRAMEWORKS AND STRUCTURES FOR COORDINATION
Review the legal framework, governance structures and develop mechanisms for effective
coordination and monitoring.
7.2 DEVOLUTION OF CONSERVATION ACTIONS
Support the effective coordination and implementation of the strategy at national, county, and
local levels.
7.3 INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE FINANCING MECHANISMS
Identify and develop innovative mechanisms for sustainable financing and distribution of funds.
7.4 HARMONIZATIO AND ENFORCEMENT FOR EFFECTIVENESS
Improve harmonization, implementation, and enforcement of Wildlife relevant Acts, Policies,
and Legislation
7

31. Integration and collaboration
Transformative engagement
• Cities, Counties, Communities
• Information Technology
• Youth
Vision for the Future of Conservation (C3ITY)

32. Counties – Spatial planning and tourism development

33. Communities – engagement (2018-2022)
 160 Conservancies in Kenya
 11% of land mass under conservancies
 28 Counties with conservancies
 90% of World Hirola found in
Community Conservancies
 2991 number of Conservancy Rangers
 142 Tourism facilities hosted by
conservancies

34. Youth and Information Technology
Kenya is a very youthful country. The median
age is estimated at 19 years, and about 80
percent of Kenya’s Population is below 35 years

35. Integration and Implementation
Integration
Agriculture, Transport, Energy, Housing, Water …
Implementation
• Coordination and Planning
• Implementation
• Finance and Sustainability
• Monitoring and Learning
• Reviewing and Updating the Strategy
• Communication and Outreach

36. Strategy Outline
Executive Summary
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Status – Situational Analysis
Chapter 3: Vision of the Strategy
Chapter 4: Strategic goals, objectives
and activities
Chapter 5: Vision for the Future of
Conservation
Chapter 6: Integration and
Implementation
References
Appendix

37. IV. NEXT STEPS AND PRIORITY ACTIONS
1. June 2017: Launch of the process
2. June-July 2017: 1st round public consultations
3. July 2017: 1st National Steering Committee
4. Aug 2017: Expert input; Ecosystems Analysis
5. Sept - Nov 2017: 2nd round :Grass root communities
6. Dec -2017: Compilation and Analysis of PP Meetings
7. Jan - 2018: 1st Draft of Strategy document
8. Feb – 2018: Presentation to CS Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife
9. Feb - 2018: 2nd National Steering Committee meeting
10. Feb - Mar 2018: Peer Review and cross sectoral engagement
11. March 2018: 2nd draft strategy Document
12. April2018: Validation workshop
13. March – April: Compilation, editing of final strategy
14. May 2018: Study Tour for best practice in strategy implementation
15. May 2018: Design, layout and printing of strategy
16. 5th June 2018: Strategy Launch

38. Acknowledgment
Synthesis Team
Standing in Front:
Apollo Kariuki, John Waithaka,
Angela Wambugu, Cindi Vereso,
Mohammed Said, Gladys Wairigia,
Stephen Manegene, Intern, Lucy
Waruingi, Christine Ntoiti, and
Steve Itela.
Standing Back:
Fridah Mueni, Edwin Wanyonyi,
Ben Okita, Erastus Kanga, Dickson
Kaelo, Patrick Omondi, Jeff Worden,
Anthony Kamau, and Billiah
Mmbasu.

39. This presentation is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
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