Our Purpose
Overview
Our Mission
Our Vision
The Story of the Taita Taveta Ranches
The Story of TTWCA
Pre-1963
The various pre-independence ordinances, including the crown lands ordinance, categorise land in Taita Taveta into crown land and native reserves. Larger parts of the crown land are organized as hunting blocks before Kenya's independence in 1963 .
2013
The ranchers transform TTRA to TTWCA, expanding the association's mandate to include multiple land use planning for improved rangeland health and natural resources management.
1960s-2000
New legislation, based on the Lawrence Report of 1966, lead to the conversion of hunting blocks into cattle ranches under two production systems: group ranches and grazing blocks and company, co-operative and individual ranches.
2020
TTWCA establishes a secretariat and begins supporting member ranches to transition to conservancies. Today, Chalango, Mgeno, Wushumbu, Kasigau, Taita, Choke, and Kutima are all formally registered conservancies.
2004
The Taita Taveta Ranches (as they are collectively known) come together to form the Taita Taveta Ranches Association (TTRA) to tackle the near collapse of livestock farming in the region due to disrupted rainfall patterns and land degradation, among other factors.
2022
TTWCA appoints its first CEO. Alfred Mwanake who took the helm after more than six years of coordinating the activities of the organisation and its member conservancies as the association’s coordinator.
Our Impact
We have been able to build and maintain trusted relationships among our members, partners, and stakeholders. This has seen:
- Our membership and investments (including partner grants) in the landscape grow significantly;
- Our membership has also moved up from 28 members in 2004 to 35 members currently;
- Our relationship with the Taita Taveta County government and the national government has improved over the years, leading to opportunities to promote better policies and secure direct support from both levels of government.
- The establishment of the the Taita Taveta WASH and Environmental Coordination Forum (TTaWECoF), an initiative under the Sustainable Management of Amboseli and Tsavo Landscape project.
- Over US$800,000 invested in community projects, impacting over 40,000 households;
- Currently, 214 people have directly benefited from employment from TTWCA and members (22% being women);
- So far, 514 community scouts are working in our member conservancies and ranches, with 157 undergoing ecological and wildlife monitoring training;
- US$ 10.7 million generated from carbon trading in both the ranches and conservancies in the last seven years;
- Establishment of the Tsavo Landscape Conservancies Sacco, which aims to economically empower the rangers across the landscape;
Supported seven conservancies to develop management plans and biodiversity inventories;
Developed a conservation/tourism investment prospectus.
- The elephant population in the wider Tsavo landscape has gone up from 11,742 in 2005 to 15,989 currently making it the largest elephant population in Kenya.
- The Giraffe population has gone up from 2,040 in 2005 to 4,700 in 2020.
- 1.6 million tonnes/year of greenhouse gases have been sequestered through well-conserved and managed conservancies and ranches over the last 5 years;
- Increased investment in tourism infrastructure over the past 5 years—currently, there are 12 lodges and camps, with a capacity of over 1,000 bed nights, available.
1.6 million tonnes/year of greenhouse gases have been sequestered through well-conserved and managed conservancies and ranches over the last 5 years.
Over 4,046km2 area secured under conservation. This land is not permanently settled, making it ideal for maintaining wildlife habitats and migratory corridors.
Supported the use and adoption of sustainable land management practices in our ranches and conservancies through the development of grazing plans and restoration interventions.
Support of habitat protection and wildlife monitoring through equipping and training community scouts for reduced threats and biodiversity conservation.