The government is set to begin reviewing land owned by conservancies amid escalating complaints of conflict between privately owned conservancies and local communities. According to Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, government data shows that the conservancies hold larger pieces of land than they legally own. "Most conservancies in Kenya hold land that is bigger than they legally should-a result of poor documentation and records in terms of acreage and boundaries," CS Wahome said in a statement after a consultative meeting on community land registration and governance.
According to available data, Kenya has over 230 wildlife conservancies, covering approximately 9.04 million hectares, which is about 16 per cent of the country's total land area.
To get a better picture, that is equal to 12 million football fields.
Lands CS Alice Wahome speaking during a consultative meeting between state and non-state actors on community land registration and governance at Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, January 28, 2025.