Catalysing community development and habitat restoration
About
The Lolldaiga Valley Partnership is a collaboration between privately owned Lolldaiga Valley and the communities of Umande and Muramati in Laikipia, Kenya.
An innovative business model will use ecosystem services finance, community-based enterprises and low-impact nature housing to support habitat restoration and community development initiatives.
The Partnership will protect and restore important riverine forest habitat and generate over 200 jobs for local communities.
Location & Land Use
The area known as Lolldaiga Valley was previously a working farm and now forms part of an area designated by Government of Kenya in 2022 for a combination of agriculture, residential, tourism and conservation uses.
Lolldaiga Valley is bordered to the north by the Lolldaiga Conservancy and to the south and west by the communities of Umande and Muramati. This area has long been the most threatened and compromised section of the wider Lolldaiga Hills property.
For the past 15 years it has been understood that a combination of economic activities and community benefits from this land will be strategically important for the long-term protection of the wider Lolldaiga ecosystem. A sublease was therefore granted in 2020, formally providing for this 3,750 acre zone to combine ‘environmentally sensitive housing’ and nature conservation.
The Partnership will also continue low-impact livestock activities in collaboration with neighbouring communities and is developing a range of community-focused enterprises.
Habitat Restoration
The Lolldaiga Valley Partnership will carry out extensive habitat restoration, protect all intact natural areas and provide financial and strategic support to community and sustainable enterprise initiatives in the wider area.
Nature Housing
The Nature Housing component of Lolldaiga Valley will be sited on less than 1% of the land area and will generate sustainable finance for community initiatives and habitat restoration.
Community
Lolldaiga Valley plans to create over 200 new jobs in the local area and support a wide range of community education, skills training and health programmes, in coordination with other local stakeholders.