Effect of community wildlife conservancy as a means to poverty reduction within amboseli ecosystem in kajiado county: a case of Satao Elerai Conservancy

Abstract

Community wildlife conservancies are key drivers principally designed to support a mutual benefit to animals and community and for prosperity and sustainability. However, as most currently constituted, they tend to incline towards profit making at the expense of the community around. Satao Elerai is a wildlife conservancy located within the Amboseli Ecosystem in Kajiado County. The conservancy has been in existence for 10 years however, no tangible economic benefit the communities surrounding it can attribute to its presence given the high poverty rate among community surrounding it. The study therefore, analyse the role of community wildlife conservancy in poverty reduction within Amboseli Ecosystem, Kajiado County, taking Satao Elerai Conservancy as a case. The specific objective that guided the study were: to establish the influence of employment opportunities, to determine the influence of infrastructure developed, to assess the influence of governance; and to determine the extent to which implementation of agreement framework by the community wildlife conservancy management influences poverty reduction within Amboseli Ecosystem in Kajiado County. The study was premised on membership theory of poverty and participatory theory. The target population were employees of Satao Elerai Conservancy and residents of villages adjacent to the conservancy namely Kimana and Tikondo. A descriptive research design was used for the study to clearly explain the contribution of community wildlife conservancy on poverty reduction among the surrounding communities. Simple random sampling was applied in selection of 178 respondents. Collected data was analysed using qualitative method with both descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations) and inferential (Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression model) statistics. Study result for employment opportunities shows opportunities as hotels and restaurants staffs (Mean 4.21, Mode 4 and Std Dev. 0.701) among others; weak positive and significant correlation (r=0.299) between employment opportunities and poverty reduction; partial factor changes of employment opportunities of β=0.08 (p=0.289). Result for infrastructure development shows development/improving community roads (Mean 4.4, Mode 5 and Std Dev. 0.912) among others, insignificant weak positive correlation with poverty reduction (r=0.272), insignificance partial factor change (B=0.050); result for governance structure shows right leadership style (Mean 4.42, Mode 5 and Std Dev. 0.717) among others, weak insignificance correlation with poverty reduction (r=0.319), and insignificant partial factor change (B=0.055). result for agreement framework shows protection for both wildlife and human habitats (4.51, Mode 5 and Std Dev. 0.642) among others, positive strong and significance relationship with poverty reduction (r=0.609), significant partial effect (B=0.547). The study concludes that individually, employment opportunities, infrastructure development and governance structure does not have significance influence, while agreement framework on the other hand has. However, collectively or all variables put together, they have significance influence on poverty reduction. Thus, Community Wildlife Conservancy has significant influence on poverty reduction within Amboseli Ecosystem in Kajiado County. The research findings are significant to the academic fraternity in adding knowledge, can be used for policy development by national and county government and community around the conservancy on how community wildlife conservation can help reduce poverty.