The Government of Kenya has unveiled a Ksh 20.8 billion (US$160 million) conservation initiative aimed at protecting the country’s natural heritage, strengthening community livelihoods and improving climate resilience over the next decade.
The Thamani Asili Project Finance for Permanence (PFP), launched on Wednesday by Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Enduring Earth, is designed to secure long-term funding for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
The initiative will mobilise US$160 million over 10 years, with philanthropic donors expected to contribute US$80 million and the Kenyan government providing a matching amount. The financing model aims to establish a more predictable and sustainable source of funding for conservation activities, reducing reliance on short-term projects and grants.
Thamani Asili, which means “value of nature” in Kiswahili, is expected to directly benefit approximately 1.6 million people. A further 3.9 million people could benefit from improved land governance, natural resource management and economic opportunities associated with conservation.
Over the next decade, the initiative aims to support conservation across 17.3 million hectares of land and ecosystems, contributing to Kenya’s ambition to conserve 30 percent of its lands, inland waters and near-shore ecosystems.
The programme includes plans to establish approximately 2.7 million hectares of conserved areas in partnership with communities and other stakeholders. It will also improve the management of 11 million hectares of existing conservation areas and create conditions for communities to manage an additional six million hectares more sustainably.
Speaking at the launch, Miano said the initiative would strengthen cooperation between the government, conservation organisations and local communities while ensuring that the benefits of protecting nature extend to people living alongside wildlife.
“Conserving nature creates opportunities, strengthens livelihoods and honours the cultures and heritage of the people who live alongside wildlife,” Miano said.
She added that the government was committed to protecting wildlife, empowering communities and ensuring that conservation contributes to a future in which both people and nature thrive.
Beyond biodiversity protection, the initiative is expected to create economic opportunities through ecological tourism, sustainable grazing, carbon programmes and other nature-based businesses. Investments within the targeted landscapes are projected to generate approximately 7,800 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs, with up to 80,000 people expected to benefit from new livelihood and business opportunities.
The programme also seeks to reduce human-wildlife conflict through improved livestock protection and more sustainable land-management practices. These measures are intended to help communities coexist with wildlife while protecting household incomes and reducing losses associated with wildlife incursions.
Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Professor Erustus Kanga said communities must remain at the centre of conservation efforts, particularly in areas where people and wildlife depend on the same natural resources.
He noted that shared water sources used by elephants and livestock illustrate the need for coordinated management of landscapes and natural resources.
“Our communities are not separate from conservation; they are its heart,” Kanga said, stressing that people living alongside wildlife should be both custodians of natural heritage and beneficiaries of its economic value.
Ruth Masha, TNC’s country director for Kenya, said the initiative would strengthen community rights, participation and decision-making over land and natural resources.
“When communities lead, conservation can deliver lasting results,” Masha said, adding that the programme would help improve livelihoods, create jobs and build more resilient local economies.
The initiative is also expected to contribute to Kenya’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement by helping avoid an estimated 7.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2035.
Its initial implementation will focus on four priority landscapes: Tsavo to Coastal, Greater Ewaso, Greater Rift to Western, and Southern Kenya. These areas are considered important for biodiversity, water security and community livelihoods.
The programme will be administered through the newly established Thamani Asili Fund for Kenya, an independent conservation trust fund responsible for managing and disbursing donor financing and monitoring progress towards the initiative’s objectives.
Thamani Asili is the third Finance for Permanence initiative in Africa and the tenth initiative supported by Enduring Earth, a collaboration established in 2020 by The Nature Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, World Wildlife Fund and ZOMA LAB, with additional support from the Bezos Earth Fund and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
