LAIKIPIA

at the forefront of Kenyan wildlife conservation.

Laikipia District is a vast plateau to the north west of snow-capped Mount Kenya, straddling the equator at the heart of Kenya’s Rift Valley Province.  It spans an area of over 9,500km², and forms part of the 25,000km² Ewaso ecosystem.  The Laikipia plains stretch from the Great Rift Valley to magnificent escarpments which descend into the Northern Frontier District.  These plains are physically diverse and scenically spectacular, covered by open grasslands, basalt hills, lonely kopjes and dense cedar forests, fed by the Ewaso Nyiro and Ewaso Narok rivers. 

VIEW A MAP OF LAIKIPIA

The people:  Laikipia is home to ethnically diverse communities, including the Mukogodo Maasai, Kikuyu, and Meru, who live side by side with Europeans, Turkana, Samburu and Pokot.  The various indigenous communities have joined together in partnership with settlers and ranchers to create a conservation and wildlife haven.

Land use:  Cattle-rearing on large commercial ranches and community owned rangelands has for many years been the life-blood of the community.  As so much of Laikipia has traditionally been used for low intensity grazing it has become a cherished haven for big game.  The full cross-section of land owners is intimately involved in conservation, and the combination of abundant wildlife and exceptional scenic beauty provides the basis to many new developments in high quality ecotourism.

Tourism:  The key to Laikipia’s allure is its diversity – its wildlife, landscape, people and climate.  The accommodation here mirrors that diversity.  Guests can frequent the exclusive haunts of film stars, royalty and artists or camp under the stars in a Maasai boma.  On Mount Kenya lie beautiful log cabins, and only a few miles away but 6000 feet lower there are small intimate lodges with cooling rock-hewn swimming pools – its all here in Laikipia.  Laikipia is the ideal venue for an active safari - on horse back, with camels or on foot – and along with traditional activities, many of Laikipia’s lodges and camps offer adventure activities like rock climbing, river rafting, fishing and mountain biking. 

Wildlife:  Over the past ten years the LWF has placed Laikipia District firmly at the forefront of Kenyan wildlife conservation, and it is increasingly acknowledged as one of the most important areas for biodiversity in Kenya.  The so-called "Ewaso ecosystem" is larger than all of Kenya's protected areas except Tsavo..  Wildlife population densities in the Laikipia region now rank second to the internationally renowned Maasai Mara ecosystem, whilst the diversity of large mammals is higher than in any other part of Kenya.  Laikipia and the Ewaso ecosystem is home to the second largest population of elephant in Kenya (6,000+) and Laikipia hosts the highest populations of endangered species in the country.  Laikipia supports eight heavily protected rhino sanctuaries, which together hold over half of Kenya’s black rhino population.  The Ewaso also provides a safe haven for endangered Grevy’s zebra (70% of the world’s population), reticulated giraffe, and the only viable population of Lelwel hartebeest in the country, as well as Africa’s only expanding population of wild dog and significant numbers of other large predators.  Laikipia’s biodiversity is globally unique, yet remarkably Laikipia is not a protected area, and Laikipia’s wildlife is entirely sustained by private and communal landowners.

Research:  Laikipia has long fascinated scientists and researchers. Mpala Research Centre is based in Laikipia, studying and actively monitoring Laikipia’s environment and its wildlife, helping to ensure that man and beast can live comfortably side-by-side.