The County Government of Isiolo, under the leadership of Governor H.E Ibrahim Hassan, is taking proactive measures to prioritize planning in the region through the Department of Lands & Physical Planning.
Recognizing the indispensable role spatial planning plays in development, the county has forged a partnership with the WYSS Academy for Nature to implement smart planning for elephant corridors in Oldonyiro Town.
Oldonyiro Town, centrally located among Laikipia, Isiolo, Samburu, and Marsabit counties, has been grappling with encroachments by settlements, particularly threatening elephant corridors. The collaboration aims to facilitate proper connectivity for elephants in the region, spanning Isiolo, Samburu, Laikipia, and Marsabit counties, contributing to wildlife conservation and sustainable development.
Isiolo County, boasting a substantial elephant population, serves as a key attraction for tourists. However, encroachments have led to wildlife-animal conflicts, with elephants struggling to navigate through mushrooming settlements, especially in Oldonyiro town.
Mr. Yussuf Dahir, the County Executive Committee Member for Lands, Physical Planning, and Urban Development, emphasized the department’s commitment to implementing Governor Ibrahim Hassan’s Manifesto on proper county planning.
Francis Lekalasimi, Chief Officer for Lands and Physical Planning, highlighted the importance of public participation during the transitional period of community land registration.
Before planning Oldonyiro, the department, in collaboration with WYSS Academy for Nature and Save the Elephant, conducted a site visit to Oldonyiro town. This visit aimed to assess the areas where community settlements have encroached upon elephant corridors.
Antony Wandera, Project Manager of Wyss Academy for Nature, expressed their willingness to support the county government of Isiolo in developing a futuristic town plan with a nature-focused approach, especially for elephant and livestock corridors as land use and zones.
“Data has shown that Oldonyiro town is a critical corridor connecting Laikipia to Isiolo and Samburu and is currently under threat of unplanned development from changes in land tenure. And there is a need for the significance of planning for wildlife connectivity and the need to retain historical elephant routes in towns like Oldonyiro,” Wandera said.
Benjamin Loloju from Save the Elephant outlined three severely impacted elephant corridors in Oldonyiro – Ngorika, Raap, and Oldonyiro town adding the organization’s commitment to engaging the community and potentially providing job opportunities as elephant corridor monitors.
In a bid to enhance knowledge of smart landscape and land-use planning, Lands & Physical Planning officers visited Konza Technopolis alongside the Kenya Institute of Planners on a field visit to Konza Technopolis city.
The exposure tour was aimed at learning how the Technopolis city plan was developed and is being implemented with considerations of wildlife corridors as a land zone/land use type besides other land uses.
Chief Officer Lekalasimi expressed the county government’s readiness to establish a roadmap for the proper planning of the Oldonyiro market.
The partnership between the Isiolo County Government and WYSS Academy for Nature reflects a holistic approach to addressing the challenges faced by wildlife corridors in Oldonyiro town. The collaborative efforts aim to ensure sustainable development, wildlife conservation, and the coexistence of ecosystems, people, and nature in the region.
