Samburu County's Community Conservancies Fund Act of 2019 has emerged as a national benchmark for wildlife conservation and community empowerment, attracting interest from neighbouring counties seeking to replicate its success.
This week, a high-level delegation from Narok County Assembly conducted a benchmarking visit to study the innovative legislation and its implementation framework.
The Narok delegation, comprising county assembly leaders, executive members, and wildlife conservation partners, examined how Samburu's law has successfully balanced wildlife protection with community benefits.
As stated by the Samburu County Government on their offcial social media platforms, the Act established a structured funding mechanism that directs conservancy revenue towards local development projects while creating sustainable tourism opportunities.
Its unique approach to community participation in conservation has delivered measurable results in both wildlife protection and livelihood improvement.
Samburu's leadership shared their experiences in operationalising the Act, including lessons learned since its enactment five years ago.
The visit marks a reciprocal knowledge exchange, following Samburu's 2023 benchmarking trip to Masai Mara National Reserve to study best practices in reserve management and community relations.
Narok team, led by Assembly Speaker Davis Dikirr and Tourism CECM Johnson Sipitiek, expressed particular interest in how Samburu's law has formalized revenue sharing, strengthened governance structures, and created economic incentives for conservation.
The Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association, which facilitated the visit, noted the growing importance of such inter-county learning in shaping effective conservation policies.
Samburu officials, including Speaker Steve Lenamarle and Tourism CECM Raphael Lenayiarra, emphasized their willingness to share their legislative model while continuing to refine their own systems.