KWS and Archipelagus Join Forces to Restore Lake Turkana's Endangered World Heritage Parks
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has announced a strategic partnership with conservation organisation Archipelagus to support the management of Sibiloi and Central Island National Parks, both part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lake Turkana National Parks. Formalised on 29 August 2026, the collaboration forms a central pillar of the newly adopted Lake Turkana National Parks Management Plan (2026 – 2036) and brings additional expertise and resources to a protected system spanning more than 6,000 square kilometres of parks and community-managed rangelands.
The partnership comes as the Lake Turkana National Parks hold a UNESCO "In Danger" classification, with unregulated fishing, grassland degradation and mounting resource pressures among the key challenges to address. Early priorities include establishing a new Sibiloi headquarters, a joint operations centre and a network of ranger outposts linked by real-time monitoring systems. Over the longer term, the plan targets grassland restoration, phased reintroduction of species including reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra and black rhino, and the development of nature-based tourism. Conservation employment for local communities from the Gabra, Daasanach, Turkana and El Molo peoples will form an integral part of the programme, alongside cross-community dialogue on water, grazing and security.
Source: Kenya Wildlife Service
