Community-Led Conservation Takes Shape as Amboseli Park Returns to Kajiado County

By Thuku Kariuki and Daniel Furnad - Evelyn Moinan still remembers the first time she put on her ranger uniform, a moment that changed not just her life, but her family’s future.

Three years later, the Maasai ranger patrols the vast plains of Amboseli with pride, supporting her siblings through school and becoming a role model to girls in her community.

“I have been working here for three years. My life has changed. Our siblings were not studying due to school fees, now I have raised them, and they are living a good life,” Evelyn says 

Evelyn, a member of the Maasai community, explains that her job has earned her respect not only at home but also among local girls who look up to her. “Even my name has been respected,” she says with pride.

With the historic handover of Amboseli National Park to Kajiado County now complete, attention has shifted to what this change means for the people who live around the park. 

Across Kenya, leaders, rangers, conservationists, and community members are hopeful that local control will unlock economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Across the country, the decision sparked conversations about what community-led management could mean for conservation, economic empowerment, and local livelihoods. 

Even from the coast, Jomvu MP Badi Twalib is optimistic. As a member of the parliamentary committee on Regional Integration, he sees the transfer as a chance for residents to directly benefit from the tourism revenue the park generates. 

“That Amboseli National Park now is going to be handed over to the County Government of Kajiado, every year, Amboseli generates 1.85 billion. It can be used for schools, for water provision, for health, for education,” he notes.

Twalib draws comparisons with other regions in Africa, arguing that Kenya can adopt models where tourism revenue fuels meaningful development.

“Tourism is a very important component to our country,” he says. “Look at Ethekwini in South Africa, money from the port supports education and infrastructure. Tourism can bring a very big impact to our country.”

For many Amboseli residents, the shift in management also represents a new era of opportunity. Apart from Evelyn, Sharon says the ranger job transformed her life. 

Sharon Nankinyi, the sergeant at Risa Camp and a member of the all-women ranger group Team Lioness, shares a similar journey of growth. She has returned to school, studying criminology to expand her skills and prepare for leadership roles in conservation. 

“I know the knowledge I have worked for,  I will have many opportunities. I encourage other Team Lioness members to pursue their academics further. First, you find in our area, the poaching has gone zero. But in the bases near the Tanzania border, poaching is still happening,” Sharon says. 

Amboseli’s wildlife, especially its roughly 2,000 elephants, has long lived in close interaction with the Maasai community. 

Cynthia Moss, Founder of the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, warns how that gentleness has sometimes made the animals easy targets for unethical trophy hunters. 

Last year, her team helped stop a hunting operation that had killed five elephants despite having legal permits. 

“It was unethical. They knew these elephants were incredibly tame,” she says. 

Even so, Cynthia remains hopeful about the park’s future under community involvement. “I hope more young people go into conservation..There are many ways to have a fulfilling career,  beyond wearing a suit in Nairobi,” she says.

The shift in park management is also seen as an opportunity to uplift women in the Maa community. Sharon, who has risen through the ranks, dreams of a future where more girls break barriers. 

“I would like the girl child to be empowered more than I,” she says. “Let them aim higher, become managers, wardens, and leaders of Amboseli.”

Cynthia agrees that the surrounding community is key to the park’s protection. “I’m not worried about the Maasai who live around here. They’ve been very beneficial to the wildlife. It was an historical injustice to take the park away. I’ve always felt that.”