Kenya has launched a Sh20.78 billion wildlife conservation programme aimed at protecting natural habitats, improving community livelihoods and creating thousands of jobs over the next decade.

The Thamani Asili Programme was unveiled at Tsavo West National Park by Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, who represented President William Ruto.

The initiative brings together the government, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Enduring Earth and other conservation partners.

It is designed to provide long-term funding for conservation, reducing dependence on short-term projects while ensuring communities living alongside wildlife benefit from protecting natural resources.

Government and partners to share Sh20.78bn cost

Under the agreement, the government will contribute US$80 million (about Sh10.39 billion). An equal amount is expected from philanthropic funding mobilised through TNC and Enduring Earth.

The money will be managed through the newly established Thamani Asili Fund for Kenya, an independent conservation trust tasked with overseeing funding, distributing resources and monitoring progress against agreed targets.

The programme will operate across 31 counties, supporting Kenya's ambition to place at least 30 per cent of its land, inland waters and near-shore ecosystems under effective conservation and management.

Its targets include establishing about 2.7 million hectares of conserved areas, improving the management of 11 million hectares already under conservation and helping communities manage an additional six million hectares.

The programme will initially concentrate on four landscapes: Tsavo to Coastal, Greater Ewaso, Greater Rift to Western, and Southern Kenya.

Millions expected to benefit from conservation plan

Beyond wildlife protection, the initiative is expected to improve livelihoods for communities that depend on land and natural resources.

About 1.6 million people are expected to benefit directly, while another 3.9 million could gain from better land management and nature-based economic activities.

The programme also aims to support 7,800 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs in areas such as ecotourism, sustainable grazing and carbon initiatives.

In the Tsavo-to-Coastal landscape, planned interventions include protecting water sources, improving ecosystem management and addressing conflicts between people and wildlife.

Other measures will focus on safeguarding wildlife corridors and endangered species, improving rangeland management and giving communities a greater role in decisions about natural resources.

KWS Director General Erustus Kanga said conservation efforts must address the needs of people living near wildlife habitats.

“In Tsavo, conservation is not just about protecting wildlife; it is about protecting a way of life, honouring the cultures and heritage of our communities and securing a future where people and wildlife thrive together,” he said.

Kanga added that the survival of wildlife was closely linked to the wellbeing of surrounding communities.

Programme links wildlife protection to climate action

TNC Africa Regional Managing Director Ademola Ajagbe said the initiative represented a move towards more predictable, long-term conservation financing, with local communities playing a central role.

He said its success should be judged by improvements in people's livelihoods and the opportunities created for them, rather than simply by the amount of money raised.

The programme is also expected to help prevent about 7.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2035, linking conservation efforts to climate action and economic resilience.

Its long-term impact will depend on how effectively the funding is managed, conservation targets are monitored and communities benefit from the activities supported.

The programme's stated goals place both environmental protection and local economic opportunities at the centre of Kenya's conservation strategy.