County governments are set to take on a stronger role in managing wildlife areas and conservation funding following discussions on a proposed law aimed at reshaping how natural resources are governed and financed across the country.
The plan was discussed during a three-day meeting in Machakos convened by the Council of Governors, bringing together county chief officers in charge of tourism and wildlife from all 47 counties. The talks focused on new ways of linking conservation work with climate needs and economic planning.
A major focus of the meeting was the creation of climate-responsive ecosystem management plans for national reserves, sanctuaries and other conservation areas under county control. The discussions also looked at how counties can build stronger systems to design and implement these plans while reviewing current legal and policy structures.
Officials said the goal is to make counties more capable of handling conservation areas in a way that responds to climate change, improves protection of biodiversity, and strengthens coordination in land use decisions.
The gathering also examined the Draft County Wildlife Conservation and Management Model Bill, 202, which proposes a clearer legal structure for counties to manage wildlife resources, protected areas and surrounding ecosystems.
Under the proposed framework, each county would be required to prepare formal management plans for every national reserve within its area. These plans would guide conservation efforts, tourism activities and other controlled land uses in protected zones.
The Bill also promotes ecotourism and other nature-based enterprises as a way of linking conservation with long-term economic development and community participation.
Lawyer Anthony Otieno, who presented the Bill, said the framework is intended to strengthen governance, improve accountability and ensure that conservation efforts also deliver benefits to local communities.
“The intention is to ensure counties have a proper governance structure for wildlife conservation, benefit sharing with communities, revenue management and ecosystem protection while still safeguarding conservation objectives,” he said.
The proposal further states that money collected from county-managed national reserves will be deposited into County Revenue Funds as required under the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act.
Counties, however, will be expected to reinvest a large share of the funds into conservation work, including restoring ecosystems, maintaining infrastructure and visitor facilities, protecting wildlife movement corridors, and supporting community projects around conservation areas.
Officials said the approach is designed to ensure wildlife resources directly support both environmental protection and local economic growth, especially in areas surrounding protected landscapes.