Inside KWS’ New Partnership to Revive Lake Turkana National Parks

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has announced that it has entered into a partnership with Archipelagus to establish a management agreement for Sibiloi and Central Island National Parks in the Lake Turkana National Parks.

The agreement will assist in the implementation of the 2026-2036 Lake Turkana National Parks Management Plan, with KWS Director General Prof. Erastus Kanga stating that the partnership will aid in the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the region.

“Lake Turkana National Parks is one of the world’s most outstanding natural and cultural landscapes,” said Kanga.

He explained that this partnership would allow for the pooling of expertise and resources to sustain the whole ecosystem for the future.

According to the board, the archipelagus will conduct research and conservation activities in cooperation with KWS and other conservation

Several research institutions such as Turkana Basin Institute, National Museums of Kenya, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenya Fisheries Service, South Island Trust, community land management committees, and County Governments of Marsabit and Turkana will be part of the research.

Sibiloi extends approximately 100km along the eastern margins of Lake Turkana and, with South Island and Central Island, is part of the Lake Turkana National Parks.

The landscape is over 6000 square kilometers in size, including parks and community-managed rangelands and the Koobi Fora Formation, which is a premier site for fossils important to human evolution.

The partnership takes place at a time when the Lake Turkana National Parks are facing conservation problems, with the World Heritage status identified as ‘In Danger’.

The statement also mentioned damage to breeding sites from unregulated fishing, habitat degradation through overgrazing, and the intensification of natural resource use.

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Strategic Restoration of Turkana Parks

Archipelagus Executive Director, Edd Brooks, said the organization would proceed in stages starting with areas such as security, governance and operational capacity and progressing to ecosystem rehabilitation and wildlife reintroductions.

“KWS brings deep institutional experience and a clear mandate to the Lake Turkana National Parks,” Brooks said.

Initial priorities were to set up the new Sibiloi headquarters, a joint operations center, more vehicles and ranger outposts in Sibiloi and Central Island, together with remote monitoring facilities.

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Conservation Plan Focuses on Biodiversity

The long-term plan also involves the re-vegetation of Sibiloi’s grasslands and the gradual reintegration of reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, plains zebra and Somali ostrich.

Kanga also added that the Partnership will support communities, research organizations, county governments and conservation partners to build resilient ecosystems, sustainable livelihoods and a conservation economy.

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Photo of KWS Director General Erastus Kanga. PHOTO/KWS