**Maasai and Rendille Communities of Kenya: A case study**

The two indigenous communities namely Maasai and Rendille in Kenya played a significant role in conservation of biodiversity. Maasai people are basically nomadic community that co-existed with wildlife. The land resources along with the flora and fauna were under continuous developmental threat that initiated the community conservation.

The Maasai from Trans Mara, Narok country and the Rendille from Kargi, Kamboye, Korr and Logoloho of Marsabit country carried out conservation strategies after witnessing the increasing biodiversity loss. They created and managed 6,000 acres of land under Nyekweri Forest Kimintet trust so as to conserve forests and wildlife. Massai are considered as unique for their cultural prohibition against hunting of wild animals except in extreme conditions [28]. The community members asserted that their area is an important biodiversity hotspot with indigenous forests hosting sacred sites; sheltering wildlife; trees providing food, fodder, fuel and medicinal plants. During assessments, community men from Nyekweri Forest Kimintet trust identified key external threats such as the erosion of cultural values governing conservation, privatization of lands and loss of traditional, ecological knowledge and deforestation due to charcoal burning and overgrazing to the existing biodiversity [29].

Women of these tribes rarely participate in decision making bodies. They are the stake holders of traditional knowledge and values and act as inter-generational transmitters of knowledge [30]. The community members undertake reforestation initiatives and conserved their area. It helped in restoration of degraded areas with the indigenous tree species. The community members of trust proposed solutions to threats including support for the community as [29]:


Alias Morindat (International Institute of Environment & Development) has advocated the significant role of local people in conservation strategies and put forth as,

"Indeed people should not be seen as objects or empty vessels' but rather as drivers of their destinies and masters of their own development."
