Wildlife conservation in Kenya displacing pastoralists

The article “The ugly truth about wildlife conservation in Kenya” (3 August 2017) is an opinion piece by Adullahi Boru Halakhe on Al Jazeera’s website.

“Wildlife conservationists perceive pastoralism as a poor land use method with little economic value, which is detrimental to wildlife. Pastoralists, on the other hand, see wildlife conservation as a large-scale pastoral “land grab”. And as conservationists claim more and more land for “wildlife protection”, Kenyan pastoralists, who had been the true protectors of wildlife for centuries, are swiftly losing their livelihoods.”

It is argued that “Pastoralist communities have lived harmoniously with the wildlife for centuries. They are the true but unsung custodians for the wildlife. For as long as they are not placed at the centre of wildlife conservation, Kenya’s human-wildlife conflict will persist, to the detriment of all.”

Posted on 30 January 2019 in Pastoralism & Natural Resources