Background.

Baringo County Conservancy Association (BCCA) operates across the entire Baringo County, spanning approximately 1,107,500Ha (11,075 km²). This extensive landscape features diverse ecological zones including arid lowlands, semi-arid areas, and highlands, making it a critical wildlife dispersal area and vital water catchment supporting several rivers such as the Kerio and Nasalot. These rivers feed into internationally recognized lakes like Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria (a UNESCO World Heritage site), which are key biodiversity and cultural sites for indigenous communities including the Tugen, Pokot, Endorois, and Ilchamus. The county’s largely rural population of about 666,763 depends on these natural resources for livelihoods, underscoring the need for sustainable, landscape-wide conservation.

In streamlining the Integrated Landscape Shift in Baringo, BCCA has organized the landscape into 3 clusters based on the drainage basin: The Lake Bogoria cluster in the south, the Lake Baringo, and Kerio valley. These clusters comprise areas covered by farmlands, conservancies, the rift lakes, national and community forest. Conservancies, collectively covering around 163,700Ha, complemented by protected areas such as Lake Bogoria and Kamnarok National Reserves 8,700Ha, (about 87km2) and 10,900Ha (109 km2) respectively. The forested zones host 12 gazetted forests covering approximately 83,578.52Ha, distributed across key forest stations including Chemususu, Mukutani, Katimok, and Tenges, managed under Kenya Forest Service (KFS). Complementing these are Community Forest Reserves approximately 2,392.5Ha, such as Kiplombe, Sirwa (Perkerra catchment), and Marigat forests. Beyond gazetted areas, non-gazetted private and community managed forests -though outside formal protection-remain essential ecological buffers that support catchment integrity, energy needs, and household incomes.

Beyond forests, the county is also dominated by extensive rangelands, forming about 70% of Baringo County. These rangelands are the backbone of pastoral livelihoods and serve as key wildlife movement corridors linking conservancies, forests, and protected areas. They include grasslands, bushlands, and scrublands dominated by grasses such as Themeda triandra, Enteropogon superba, and Cynodon dactylon, which are critical for both livestock and wildlife. These rangelands directly influence human-wildlife coexistence, livestock productivity, and drought resilience. However, with low and highly variable rainfall ranging between 300-500 mm per year, they are naturally fragile and highly sensitive to climate shocks. Population pressure, insecure land tenure, invasive species, and competing land uses have also further increased their vulnerability. Recognizing these realities, BCCA’s integrated landscape approach places rangelands at the center of planning-supporting pastoral livelihoods, reducing conflict, protecting wildlife movement corridors, improving grazing practices, and strengthening community control over land and natural resources as climate pressures increase.

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2. Our Vision and Mission

BCCA is guided by its vision of Prosperous communities safeguarding nature and its mission to safeguard natural resources through community-led approaches for the well-being of the people of Baringo County.

3. Theory of Change

Our Theory of Change is founded on the conviction that lasting conservation impact is realized through three key shifts necessary to foster the growth and transformation of the conservancies. These are structural, relational, and mindset shifts. Our pathway asserts that:

o IF the collective voice of local communities is amplified through an effective landscape association,

o THEN community-led conservation actions will

o RESULT in safeguarded natural resources and well-being.

BCCA is responding to the evolving landscape of Baringo County by focusing on three key shifts necessary to foster the growth and transformation of natural resources as follows;

1) Integrated Landscapes Shift: Transition to a County-wide landscape governance and delivery role BCCA will shift from a conservancy-focused support entity to a county-wide landscape governance and delivery platform for Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM), covering conservancies, forests, rangelands, water catchments, and ecologically critical areas across Baringo County. This shift will be implemented in close collaboration with Baringo County Government (CG), conservancies, Community Forest Associations (CFAs), Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) Beach Management Units (BMUs) and Geosites, reflecting the ecological interconnectedness of the landscape and the growing policy emphasis on landscape-scale approaches for biodiversity, water security, and climate resilience.

2) Rights-Based Stewardship Shift: Focus on indigenous and local community anchored conservation and development. BCCA will mainstream Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) and human-rights-based conservation approaches by centering secure land tenure, inclusive governance, equitable benefit sharing, and local stewardship. This shift will be driven through partnerships with community conservancies, community forest associations, traditional institutions, women and youth groups, county land and natural resource departments, the National Land Commission (NLC), civil society organizations, and development partners, aligning BCCA with global frameworks such as the 30-by-30 targets, GEF priorities, and climate finance mechanisms that increasingly prioritize community-led conservation. Baringo County Conservancies Association (BCCA) Strategic Plan 2026–2030 Enhancing effectiveness in Natural Resource Management of Baringo landscape.

3) Systems Catalytic Shift: Strategic intermediary link to government, communities, and markets BCCA will position itself as a trusted intermediary and implementation partner that bridges communities, government, and emerging nature-based markets to deliver integrated conservation, climate, and livelihood outcomes. This role will be anchored in formal collaboration with Baringo County Government, national agencies including KFS, KWS, Water Resources Authority (WRA) /WRUAs, research and technical institutions, private sector actors in carbon, ecotourism, and wildlife economies, financial institutions, and international partners, supporting integrated land-use planning, coordinated service delivery, and alignment with local, regional and global commitments and protocols.

4. BCCA past Achievements

Over the last four years, Baringo County Conservancy Association (BCCA) has strengthened institutional systems, influenced policy, and supported community-led conservation and restoration across Baringo County.

Strengthened internal governance systems by developing key institutional policies including finance, procurement, human resources, office administration, corporate governance, and grievance redress mechanisms.
Advocated for and supported inclusion of conservancies in the Baringo County Fund Act to enhance financing for community conservation.
Successfully lobbied for inclusion of restoration and livelihood activities in the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), strengthening long-term county-level support for conservation.
Supported development of 3 conservancy management plans to improve governance and sustainable natural resource management.
Restored 200 acres of degraded land in Kiborgoch Community Wildlife and Wetland Conservancy.
Established 4 grass seed banks covering 30 acres to support rangeland restoration and pasture regeneration.
Supported community land transition trainings to improve sustainable land use and rangeland management.
Facilitated planting of 3,500 fruit trees by 200 women, supporting livelihoods and ecosystem restoration.
Supported establishment of 30 beehives across 3 conservancies to promote sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.

5. Project Approach

Land degradation continues to threaten livelihoods, biodiversity, water resources, and food systems across dryland ecosystems globally. According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), more than 40% of the world’s land is degraded, affecting billions of people and increasing vulnerability to climate change, drought, and poverty. Dryland rangelands are among the most affected ecosystems due to prolonged droughts, invasive species, deforestation, unsustainable land use, and declining vegetation cover. Restoration of degraded landscapes has therefore become a global priority under commitments such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Bonn Challenge, and the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100). Kenya has also committed to restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening community-led climate resilience under its national restoration and climate goals.

Within Lake Bogoria landscape, degradation of grazing lands continues to affect pastoral livelihoods, livestock productivity, water access, and ecosystem health. The spread of invasive species such as Prosopis juliflora, combined with rising of Lake Baringo, recurring droughts, shrinking grazing lands, and poor pasture regeneration, has increased pressure on already fragile ecosystems. Communities are increasingly facing livestock losses, food insecurity, soil erosion, and reduced household incomes, with women and youth being the most affected.

Baringo County Conservancy Association (BCCA) seeks to respond to this challenge through a community-led restoration project targeting approximately 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) of degraded rangelands within the Lake Bogoria landscape. The project will apply Participatory Rangeland Management (PRM) approach where communities jointly identify degraded areas, develop grazing plans, and lead restoration activities. The project will focus on invasive species removal, grass reseeding, establishment of agroecology demonstration farms, water conservation measures, and Farmer Field Schools to strengthen sustainable land management practices. The project aligns with Kenya’s restoration and climate commitments while contributing to global restoration targets through community-driven restoration and resilient livelihood approaches.

Project Goal

To restore 2,023 hectares (5,000 acres) of degraded rangelands in the Lake Bogoria landscape and strengthen resilient livelihoods for approximately 2,500 households (approximately 15,000 people) through community-led restoration and sustainable land management practices within a 3-year period.

Expected Outcomes and Activities

Outcome 1: Degraded rangelands restored and pasture productivity improved

Activity 1.1. Remove invasive species, 500 (Prosopis juliflora), from at least 800 hectares of grazing land

Activity 1.2. Procure and distribute certified grass seeds

Activity 1.3. Construct semi-circular bunds structures and reseed with drought-tolerant grass seeds (Cenchrus cilliaris).

Activity 1.4. Establish 20 community restoration demonstration plots covering approximately 100 hectares.

Activity 1.5. Develop and implement community grazing management plans for restored sites.

Outcome 2: Strengthened and adoption of sustainable land management practices

Activity 2.1. Establish Farmer Field Schools (FFF) targeting approximately 1,250 farmers and pastoralists.

Activity 2.2. Train 60 lead farmers and community restoration champions on rangeland restoration and sustainable land management.

Activity 2.3. Establish 10 agroecology demonstration farms for practical learning on sustainable food production systems.

Outcome 3: Improved resilient livelihoods for women and youth through restoration-based enterprises

Train 200 women and youth on nursery management, fruit tree production, and agroecology practices.
Establish 10 community tree nurseries managed by women and youth groups.
Promote 6 kitchen gardens and agroecology practices to improve household nutrition