SPECIAL REPORT: How greed and graft combine to tear down Amboseli

Amboseli ecosystem in Kajiado County is facing a new threat.

Private investors are illegally fencing off conservation land, transforming communal grazing fields into commercial farms.

Investors from outside the local community, enticed by the promise of quick profits, are clearing land, drilling boreholes and erecting electric fences on land zoned for conservation and livestock defying local laws and government directives.

For the Maasai community who call Amboseli home, these intrusions are not just a violation of legal boundaries—they are an assault on a way of life that has sustained them for generations.

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Despite repeated efforts by local and national authorities to halt these developments, enforcement has faltered, leaving community leaders frustrated and residents vulnerable. “These lands were set aside for grazing and wildlife, not for farming,” said Samuel Kaanki, Chairman of the Amboseli Conservancies Forum. “This encroachment is illegal, and it’s threatening everything we stand for.”

Local leaders, residents, and environmental officials paint a bleak picture of Amboseli’s future if these developments continue unchecked.

With land-use violations rising, many in the community feel abandoned by the very systems meant to protect them.

Wildlife corridors, critical for the seasonal migrations of elephants, giraffes, and zebras, are increasingly obstructed by new barriers. The result has been an uptick in human-wildlife conflicts as animals, deprived of their natural paths, wander into community lands and farmlands in search of food and water​.

Jane Lenchiro, a conservation officer with the Kajiado County government, described a heartbreaking scene: “The other day, a giraffe was found dead, tangled in one of these fences. These animals don’t understand boundaries the way we do. They follow ancient paths, and now, those paths are blocked.”

Lenchiro, who has been stationed in the Eselenkei area since June, has led efforts to curb illegal cultivation and fencing. Her team has made several arrests, but they face an uphill battle with limited resources and growing defiance from investors.

Water scarcity has always been a challenge in this arid region, but illegal developments are worsening the crisis.

To irrigate commercial farms, many developers have drilled unauthorized boreholes, drawing down limited underground water supplies that local communities and wildlife depend on. In Kenya, drilling a borehole requires approval from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), but most of these developers have bypassed the requirement.

Mark Angwenyi, County Director NEMA Kajiado county, told The Standard;  “We only have four NEMA officers covering a massive area. We’re trying to monitor compliance, but we’re overwhelmed .”

“We only have four NEMA staff to cover an area of over 21,000 square kilometers. We can’t be everywhere at once,” Angwenyi noted,”

Since July 2023, NEMA has identified 25 violations within the rangelands of these, 12 projects were only partially completed and have now been abandoned.

"New investors are being directed to comply with the zoning plan," Angwenyi added, as of now, there are 23 active cases of violations being processed.

The affected land spans nearly 40 percent of the conservancy, he revealed, with parcel sizes ranging widely from 47 acres up to larger tracts, Angwenyi said.

For the pastoralists, who rely on shared water sources for their cattle, the unapproved boreholes mean longer, more difficult treks in search of water. The knock-on effects are felt in every aspect of community life.

The people’s pastoralist way of life has long been intertwined with Amboseli’s wildlife. They regard animals as part of their heritage and rely on open grazing lands for their livestock.

Traditionally, the land has been communally owned, with strict zoning plans outlining specific uses: grazing, conservation, and small-scale farming. But this delicate balance is under threat, as outside investors snap up land for industrial-scale agriculture.

“These developments are taking over the grazing grounds we depend on. It’s getting harder and harder to find pasture, especially during the dry season,” says 70-year-old Daniel Koisingeti, a native of the Mbirikani Group Ranch.

Koisingeti and others had previously agreed to subdivide the land to balance conservation and pastoral needs. But since then, private developers have fenced off key grazing areas and wildlife corridors, forcing livestock and wildlife into increasingly confined spaces.

Koisingeti, like many other community elders, feels betrayed. “We agreed to coexist with wildlife. But now, our livestock are suffering, and so are the animals. The developers are ignoring everything we planned for,” he said.

As land prices soar, some community landowners have sold their plots to outside investors, often unaware of the restrictions on land use. In many cases, community members acted out of financial desperation or simply lacked clear information about the land’s zoning regulations.

Brokers and land speculators have taken advantage of this, pushing people to sell without disclosing that the land is meant for conservation.

Yet, not everyone is willing to sell. Irene Kuntai, a resident of Imbirikani, said she has witnessed a shift in community attitudes. “Most of us don’t want to sell. We know the impact it has on our land and our culture. But some are tempted by the money. It’s short-term gain, but long-term loss,” she said.

Kuntai’s concerns echo those of Samuel Kasimba, a local resident born and raised on the land his family has used for generations. “Our fathers moved from one place to another, grazing cattle and living off the land. Now, people see money and forget everything else,” he says. For Kasimba, who still practices traditional pastoralism, the loss of grazing land is a painful reminder of what his community stands to lose.

Despite the community’s resistance and local government’s clear directives, enforcement has been inconsistent. Although arrests have been made, few cases lead to successful prosecution.

A report by the Kajiado County Environmental Committee in September 2024 acknowledged that earlier enforcement efforts failed to curb illegal developments. The County has since established a task force to enforce the 2023 Presidential Directive that prohibits any new developments in rangelands. Yet, many community members feel this is too little, too late​.

Michael Semera, Kajiado County’s Executive for Environment, told The Standard his department is committed to implementing land-use laws, but he admits to significant obstacles.

“We’ve issued warnings, carried out arrests, and removed illegal fences. But for every fence we take down, two more go up. Developers think that buying land means they can ignore the rules. But these rules are essential for conserving environment and our community’s way of life.”

Beyond local efforts, conservationists and NGOs are calling for stronger national and county-level action. Kenny Matampash, NIA Executive Director, has been vocal in pushing for accountability.

“This is a matter of governance and ethics. These laws exist for a reason, but they’re not being enforced. We’re risking our heritage for the sake of a few investors’ profits. If the government doesn’t act, the Amboseli ecosystem could be lost,”