July, 6, 2026. Successful conservation is built on more than protecting wildlife. It also depends on good governance, inclusive decision-making, transparency, and ensuring that communities share fairly in the benefits of conservation.
Across the Tsavo landscape, many conservancies continue to face governance challenges that limit their effectiveness and long-term sustainability. Limited participation by community members especially women and youth, weak accountability mechanisms, and disputes over benefit sharing can erode trust and reduce the impact of conservation efforts.
To help address these challenges, Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association (TWCA) and the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association participated in training on the Site-level Assessment of Governance and Equity (SAGE) before facilitating the assessment for Wushumbu Wildlife Conservancy. The SAGE tool provides conservancies with a practical framework to assess how decisions are made, identify governance gaps, and develop actions for continuous improvement.
Guided by the principles of equitable governance, the assessment encourages conservancies to strengthen respect for community and resource rights, promote meaningful participation in decision-making, enhance transparency and accountability, improve access to fair dispute resolution, ensure equitable sharing of conservation benefits, mitigate negative impacts on communities, and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders while advancing conservation goals.
In Tsavo, Wushumbu Wildlife Conservancy, Dawida Conservancy and Oza Community land, will undertake the Site level Assessment of Governance and Equity (SAGE) to strengthen governance, enhance inclusive decision making, build community trust, and improve conservation outcomes for both people and wildlife.
Inclusive governance is the foundation of effective conservation. By strengthening participation, transparency, and equitable benefit sharing, conservancies are better equipped to protect wildlife while delivering lasting benefits to communities.