In late October 2026, at Tsavo West National Park, Kenya launched one of the most ambitious conservation programmes in its history. It’s called Thamani Asili — Kiswahili for “the value of nature” — and it aims to secure the future of some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife landscapes for the long term.
Thamani Asili at a glance
- Budget: US$160 million — $80 million from the Kenyan government and a planned $80 million from private donors.
- Timeframe: 10 years.
- Area: about 17.3 million hectares (173,000 km²) — roughly 30% of Kenya’s land area.
- Partners: the Government of Kenya, Kenya Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy, among others, with a new independent trust fund to manage donor money and track progress.
- Focus species: elephants, black rhinos, lions and the wider ecosystems they depend on.
The four landscapes
- Tsavo to the Indian Ocean coast — Kenya’s largest protected wilderness, linking to coastal forests and reefs.
- The Greater Ewaso region — the dry, wildlife-rich north and centre, including Samburu and Laikipia.
- The Great Rift Valley and western Kenya — the soda lakes, escarpments and forests.
- Southern Kenya — linking the Maasai Mara with Tanzania’s Serengeti, home of the Great Migration.
How it works: “Project Finance for Permanence”
Thamani Asili uses a model called Project Finance for Permanence. Instead of short grants that run out after a few years, donors commit long-term money up front, and the government commits to policy and management changes. Funds are released as agreed conditions are met. It’s a model that has been used to protect huge areas in countries such as Costa Rica, Bhutan and Canada — and it’s designed to make conservation outlast political and funding cycles.
Communities at the centre
Most of Kenya’s wildlife lives outside national parks, on land shared with farmers and pastoralists. Thamani Asili commits to involving local communities in land-use decisions and supporting sustainable grazing, community tourism and practical ways of reducing human–wildlife conflict. That matters: when people benefit from wildlife, they protect it.
Why it’s good news for travellers
- Healthier wildlife populations mean better sightings — and Kenya is already on a roll, with elephants topping 42,000 and black rhinos above 1,100. (See our posts on the latest wildlife census and the rhino comeback.)
- Connected landscapes allow animals to move freely — essential for the Great Migration and for elephants in Tsavo and the north.
- More community tourism means more authentic experiences, from conservancy stays to local guiding.
The bigger picture
Thamani Asili follows a busy year for conservation in Kenya: Nairobi hosted the Global Flyways Summit in September, and KWS launched daily wildlife livestreams to share Kenya’s parks with the world. Challenges remain — from changing Rift Valley lakes to wildlife poisoning — but long-term funding is exactly what tackling them requires.
Experience these landscapes with Lorikeet Safaris
Three of Thamani Asili’s four landscapes feature in our safaris: Tsavo on our Amboseli & Tsavo Photo Safari, and the Rift Valley and the Mara on our Maasai Mara & Rift Valley Explorer. Talk to us about a trip that supports conservation.
Sources: The Animal Reader; CGTN.
