Set up and register a wildlife conservancy or sanctuary on your land
Kenya Wildlife Service and County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committees · sources read 5 Oct 2026
Under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, any landowner or community whose land has wildlife can set up a wildlife conservancy or sanctuary. Groups form a community wildlife association and register it under the appropriate law; an individual owner registers as a recognized wildlife manager with the County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee. You apply in the prescribed form with a list of your conservation activities and a draft management plan, and approval comes from the Cabinet Secretary on KWS's recommendation. KWS has no online form for this on its eCitizen portal.
- Fee
- We couldn't confirm a fee from the official page. Check it there before you pay.
- Where
- Register the association under the appropriate law, or as an individual with your County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee; KWS (P.O. Box 40241-00100 Nairobi, toll free 0800 597 000, customerservice@kws.go.ke) advises on the management plan and recommends approval.
What you need
- Application in the prescribed form, listing the conservancy, sanctuary or other conservation activities you run (and, for an association, its membership)
- For an association: its constitution with clear governance structures
- A draft management plan covering the wildlife in the area, current and proposed conservation activities, proposed wildlife user rights, land use, monitoring and a community wildlife scouting scheme
- Any other information the KWS Director-General asks for
Steps
- Decide how you will register. A community, landowners or a group of landowners form a community wildlife association and register it under the appropriate law. An individual owner registers as a recognized wildlife manager with the County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee.
- Prepare your draft management plan. KWS's legal functions include helping and advising on management plans for community and private conservancies and sanctuaries, so contact KWS (toll free 0800 597 000) for guidance.
- Submit the application in the prescribed form with your list of activities, constitution (for an association) and draft plan.
- Wait for approval. The Cabinet Secretary approves associations and wildlife managers on KWS's recommendation, in consultation with the county wildlife conservation committees, and KWS keeps a record of all approved associations and managers.
Watch out
- Once approved, you must manage the conservancy under your approved management plan, help KWS fight poaching and bushmeat trade, report changes that may harm wildlife, and help with problem animal control through community wildlife scouts.
- There is no conservancy application on the KWS eCitizen portal; its online services cover permits such as wildlife enterprises, filming and trophies. Ask KWS or your county wildlife committee for the prescribed form.
Who can apply
- Any person or community who owns land that wildlife lives on, alone or together with others.
- A wildlife conservancy is land set aside by an individual landowner, a company, a group of owners or a community for wildlife conservation.
- A sanctuary is land, or land and water, set aside by government, a community, an individual or a private entity to conserve and protect one or more wildlife species.
Official sources (3)
- Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013 (No. 47 of 2013), consolidated to 4 Nov 2025 new.kenyalaw.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- KWS eCitizen services (home page) kws.ecitizen.go.ke · read 5 Oct 2026
- Kenya Wildlife Service (home page) kws.go.ke · read 5 Oct 2026