LAIKIPIA WILDLIFE FORUM

West Laikipia Fence Project

Monthly Report and Recommendations July-August 2008

Gabriel N. Kahiro LWF Fence Officer

LAIKIPIA WILDLIFE FORUM

ROYAL NETHERLANDS EMBASSY

LAIKIPIA ELEPHANT PROJECT

After field work in June-July 2008, various issues arose that required attention. Chief among them was the need to re-configure the fence especially at ADC Mutara to cope with elephants breaking through. Community fence committee also required strengthening to mobilise the communities living next to the fence to participate more in fence management and monitoring. Data collection on voltage data and fence breakage also needed to be standardized. Measures to address these challenges are discussed below with what was achieved and what needs to be done to make the fence serve the purpose for which it was constructed. 1. Fence upgrade materials delivery Fence upgrade materials were purchased and delivered by LWF to various properties along the fence line. The materials were distributed as per the schedule below:
Property ADC Mutara Materials delivered 35 x rolls high tensile wire 4 x Hayes chain grab 2 x digital voltmeter 4 x rechargeable search lights 16 x hacksaw blades 4 x hacksaw frame 4 x ordinary hammer 800 x W insulators 50 kgs U nails Kifuko 15 x rolls high tensile wire 200 x W insulators 15 kg U-nails Lombala 15 x rolls high tensile wire 200 x W insulators 15 kg U-nails Ngorare 15 x rolls high tensile wire 200 x W insulators 20 kg U-nails 1 x digital voltmeter

A 5 kilometre section on ADC Mutara between the danglers on the Rumuruti-Nanyuki road and Mutara HQ gate has been identified to trial a new fence configuration. This process is lead by Ol Pejeta Conservancy and fencers from ADC Mutara. The fence will have 4 strands instead of the 5 originally constructed but the space between wires is much reduced. 60 centimetre outriggers will be projecting at 45 degrees from the second strand. All the top three wires are live and have been done in a way that you can pull them apart. This will keep livestock out of ADC and hopefully keep elephants inside the ranch. The first 200 meter section has been completed and work is ongoing. Lombala ranch have started adding projections on the section bordering Kifuko where there has been fence breaks. The work is ongoing and has gone past the danglers on the Rumuruti road next G.G. Kariuki ranch. Kifuko ranch have also started adding projections on their fence in areas they have identified as having high elephant pressure. Ngorare have yet to start the upgrade but the management has identified areas that will need upgrade especially to stop buffaloes that are breaking the fence. 2. Monitoring data a. Labelling posts by kilometre A monitoring system based on 1 kilometre sections is being developed. Elephant scouts are marking 1km section of the fence and the strainer posts in between. For example the first post at ol Pejeta is designated E0. After 1 kilometre it is marked as E1. Every strainer in between is marked between S1-S4. The reference therefore has kilometre and strainer.

E0

E0S3

E1

The scouts will then collect GPS positions of these posts. Whenever a fence break is reported this will be used as reference and it would also ease communication between fencers and scouts. A new group SMS system is being tested. This will be integrated with Frontline SMS, a SMS software for NGOs that will archive the SMS communication and allow for analysis. Training and pre-testing of this data collection system will be done in August September period b. Crop raiding, fence breakage and voltage data from the ranches. Voltage data is being collected from the ranches. Data was collected at Kifuko, Ngorare and ADC Mutara ad Lombala. In ADC Mutara we have a problem with recording with the fencers not recording correctly the data even though they have the equipment. Laikipia Nature conservancy is also collecting fence voltage data. A spreadsheet will be annexed to this report with fence sections voltage data. The crop raiding has reduced in Mutara as result of KWS response to crop raiding elephants. The number of breaks increased from 21 to 26 but the mumber of crop raids reduced from 115 in June to 84. The fence breakage data and crop raiding incidences are recorded below.

Table 1: Fence breakage and crop raiding along the Fence June July 2008.

Section of the fence

Fence breaks June 08

Fence breaks July 2008

Crop raids June 08

Crop raids July 2008

Ex-Erok-Suguroi River Suguroi river -Mutara-Pesi river Pesi-Kifuko energizer House Kifuko energizer -Lombala Ngorare Laikipia Nature Conservancy

7 21 7 3 1 40

13 26 4 5 2 38

50 115 13 -

26 84 7 80

3. Community fence committees Follow up meetings with the already active committees were done. A planning meeting was held at Pesi and the Pesi committee was reconstituted on 6th August 2008. Minutes of all the committee meetings are attached. It is important to note that the more active the committees are the better the chances of the fence succeeding. Below is summary of deliberations in these committee meetings. a. Mutara The members agreed to take a message to their communities on the need to use the gates even if they are stealing grass from ADC Mutara. As a result the cases of livestock passing through the wire have gone down drastically. Involvement of KWS has helped as officers are patrolling with members of the committee. ADC Mutara management has assigned one manager, Mark Chepkwony, responsibility for the fence. At fence meeting at Ol Pejeta on 23rd July 2008, it was agreed Mark Chepkwony be an understudy of Brian of Ol Pejeta. b. Laikipia Nature Conservancy A timetable was worked out for community contribution on the fence with Laikipia Nature conservancy. 7th and 8th august was the days the community was to contribute labour to clear the fence. The upgrade work is on-going at LNC. Provincial administration through D.O. Ngarua and Chief helped in the facilitating this meeting. c. Pesi Two meeting s took place. One was a planning meeting for the committee and another one was the actual committee. The members shared responsibilities on sections of the fence and pastoralists committed their communities will be passing through the spring gates to ADC Mutara. A larger meeting will be held in August with ADC and Kifuko management invited.

d. Ex-Erok The committee met and agreed to mobilise the community to clear growth near the fence and do a fence patrol near the fence with KWS rangers to warn off potential fence breakers and vandals. 4. KWS contribution to the fence a. Patrolling with committee b. Attending the community meeting c. PAC before they raid 5. Challenges a. Buffaloes b. Low voltage after re-configuration c. Lack of porcelain end connectors d. Illegal grazers and vandalism at Ngorare

West Laikipia Fence Project -Report July-August 2008

Activity Community fence committees Sub-activities a) Mutara fence committee meeting Indicators Minutes of the meeting annexed to this report Comments /Notes The members agreed to take a message to their communities on the need to use the gates even if they are stealing grass from ADC Mutara. As a result the cases of livestock passing through the wire have gone down drastically. Involvement of KWS has helped as the A timetable was worked out for community contribution on the fence with Laikipia nature conservancy. 7th and 8th august was the days the community was to contribute labour to clear the fence. The work is on-going Two meeting s took place. One was a planning meeting for the committee and another one was the actual committee. The members shared responsibilities on sections of the fence and pastoralists committed their communities will be passing through the spring gates to ADC Mutara. The committee met and agreed to mobilise the community to clear growth near the fence and do a fence patrol near the fence with KWS rangers to warn off potential fence breakers and vandals. Fence upgrade and maintenance materials were delivered and upgrades have started in all properties except Finafran. ADC Mutara, Kifuko and Lombala have all started adding the projections. A 4 km section has been identified based on last report as having the highest breakages. The fence is being reconfigured with help of Ol Pejeta Conservancy to lower the wires and add 60 cm projections at 450 to deter elephants from breaking the fence. The fence was

b) Laikipia nature conservancy meeting

Minutes of the meeting annexed to this report

c) Pesi/Kifuko meeting

Minutes of the meeting annexed to this report

d) Ex-erok community meeting

Minutes of the meeting annexed to this report

Fence upgrade

a) Fence upgrade materials delivery

See the annexed delivery schedule

b) ADC Mutara Fence reconfiguration

200 meters done and ongoing at Nanyuki road danglers point towards Checkpoint (Mutara HQ)

previously 5 strands but with this it will be 4 strands. The top wire is being used in adding the projections. Monitoring data collection Voltage data collection Forms collected from every ranch Voltage data has been collected and entered in Excel spreadsheet. ADC Mutara scouts still have a problem with voltage data collection. Two fencers gave cooked data and it has been returned to them. Elephant scouts fence breakage data. In ADC mutara near checkpoint the crop raiding has gown down as result of KWS response. The number of breaks are still high in this area. Other properties have not had very high incidences except for Kifuko where there has been attempts by elephants to break from outside. In the week ending August 9th the elephants broke the fence daily for 3 days. There are also fence breakages at Lombala and Ngorare but from buffaloes. There are some isolated cases of vandalism on Ngorare but management is addressing it. Mobile phones distributed Phones given out to fencers and scouts Elephants scouts have been issued with phones and the ranches have committed to giving airtime to the fencers and the phones will be issued late august or early September 2008. The elephant scouts and fencers are marking sections of the fence for monitoring purposes. The system involves marking section at 1kilometer interval and the strainer posts after every 200 meters. For example the 5 kilometer post at mutara is designated M5 and strainers S, so mutara at 5.6 km is marked M5S3. this makes it easier to get a reference when fencers are sending text messages and when reporting to the scouts and KWS a fence break.

Fence breakage data collection

Forms collected from elephant scouts. See fence breakage data.

Monitoring system

Sections of the fence marked with the appropriate codes.

Table 1: Fence breakage and crop raiding along the Fence - July 2008.

Section of the fence Ex-Erok-Suguroi Suguroi-Mutara-Pesi river Pesi-Kifuko energizer House Kifuko energizer -Lombala Ngorare Laikipia Nature Conservancy

Fence breakages 13 26 4 5 2 38, Mwenje 18, Ol Moran 10

No of farms Crop raided 26 84 7 -

FENCE MATERIALS DELIVERED ON 22/7/2006

RECOMMENDATIONS Pressure, both peer and managerial, should be brought to bear on ADC Mutara to keep illegal grazers who are destroying the fence out of their property. Administrative help primary by security organs of state and provincial administration would greatly help ADC keep the illegal grazers out since some are armed. Other sections of the fences not bordering ADC have very few breakages and there are no illegal grazers. While aware to the fact that ADC has more elephant pressure than other properties, it is important that the LWF and KWS put pressure on ADC management to do their part. Each property to have a spare 10 spare posts except for ADC who already have 15 posts 5 for each energizer house. To ease communication between the fencers, that each fencer along the section of the fence to have a mobile phone. The fencers at ADC, for example, have to walk close to 20 Km to check a fault while with good communication they should walk half the distance. In other properties however the fencers have radio Kifuko and Lombala. Each fencer at all ranches be kitted with a voltmeter, chain catcher, fencers pliers, a hammer, After visiting various properties along the fence and talking with the management below is a needs assessment table

2.0 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION Objective: Community Participation in the fence management The community living next to or near the fence are the obvious and biggest beneficiaries of the fence. Despite the obvious, community members are not very active in fence matters. The communities role in managing the fence or helping the management of various ranches to monitor the fence needs to be clearly defined and roles clearly spelt out. We held various meetings with communities along the fence to jump start community participation and more proactive role in the affairs of the fence. 2.1 Ex-Erok area We held a meeting with committee members of the fence. Not all committee members attended since some live very far from the fence. The committee had been constituted earlier by LWF CLO and had met twice before. The committee has allocated members duties and they patrol the fence along their sections. When the incidences of vandalism increase, the committee together with the Administration Police officers based at ExErok patrolled the entire section (ADC/Ol Pejeta corner to Suguroi River) warning the people living in bomas near the fence of consequences of damaging the fence. This section (Nyaguthii) has witnessed fewer breakages (7) than other section. However, it is important to note that the committee doesnt seem to be very cohesive and a lot of training needs to be done. There are few cases of people passing through to fetch firewood and they are also shorting the fence. The very end of the fence (joining Ol Pejeta) has space that is being used as a cattle gate. It is my recommendation that this small gap has live projections to make the fence much more efficient and to be truly multipurpose in keeping elephants away and also stopping stock thefts in the community. Being neighbours to Ol Pejeta which has an extremely efficient fence the members of this committee are comparing the two fences and the perception is that the new west Laikipia fence doesnt have enough moto (voltage). They say they can graze next to ADC but never next to Ol Pejeta. The committee members also felt that the elephants are not breaking as frequently because they are no crops in the farm. Their fear is that with presence of crops in the farms, elephant pressure would increase. 2.2 Mutara This is the area with the highest number of breakages (21 with 115 crop raids). There was no committee in Mutara so we created one. . Since the area has both farmers and pastoralists, we created a committee with every community represented. In addition, I propose we include provincial administration through Mutara chief and the management of ADC. One planning meeting was held and a committee meeting was held on 9th July. Minutes of the meeting are annexed to this report. 2.3 Kiambogo area (Pesi) The area has suffered the worst form of vandalism. A whole section of the fence has insulators removed and cattle tracks can be seen where the wire is lifted with forked sticks. On the old concrete posts that have since been removed, they are using the left-over metal in the stumps to hook the wire to allow cattle to cross through.

After observing the above, we organised a meeting with the local CLO, Martin Kahindi, and visited the Samburu boma. We talked with elders on the issue ad they said the spring gate was too far from where their cattle used to drink from and thats why they were destroying the fence. We suggested bringing the gate closer but they later resolved to make the watering point more conducive by adding stones to reduce steepness at the watering point. The women in the boma were also destroying the insulators to be able to pass through with firewood. We resolved to help with Martin on creating a better watering point. The shorting stopped for a few days but it is still ongoing. A follow up meeting with provincial administration and ADC management needs to be done. This is where all illegal grazers gain access into ADC. 2.4 Matigari We held a meeting with village elders at Matigari on 8th July regarding a ring fence around the area. The area has 40 homesteads and elephant crop predation at present is extremely serious as they are an enclave of food in the elephant territory. The community members reminded me of a meeting they attended at Sambururu Ltd ranch where they were promised a ring fence. The community members are ready to contribute to the project. The area doesnt have many trees that can be used to do a ring fence except for areas near the river. I talked to the management of Kifuko ranch and they were ready to train community fencer to maintain the ring fence. The community is to elect a committee and inform me when their next meeting is. 3 KWS RAPID RESPONSE TO FENCE BREAKING ELEPHANTS Kenya wildlife service has done a commendable job in responding to fence breakages. In community meetings both at Ex-Erok and Mutara the community members noted and appreciated the quick response by KWS. The only setback seems to be the distance they cover from their Ngobit patrol base to Mutara and Ex-Erok. The community expressed desire to have the KWS stationed at the Mutara Camp or at Ex-Erok. A rapid response team based at the Ministry of Works camp (formerly the Agrotechno site camp) would respond to breaks with much higher efficacy than when they are far away. The Mutara camp is ready and the community is receptive of KWS officers staying there. KWS have been temporarily relocated to Mutara and have been regularly involved in PAC to keep elephants away from the fence. This has been appreciated by the community and given the absence of incidents at Ngobit, KWS should consider making Mutara a permanent post for logistical reasons An officer trained in elephant identification would be able to have a problem animals identified with local scouts and response in destroying the animal or otherwise based on proper identification. Fortunately for KWS and Forum, there is an officer named Sidney Safari who had undergone elephant identity training at Mpala research centre who can get this off the ground. Obviously more training is needed in getting the database entries correct but KWS already have an asset in this process. It is my recommendation that if it is possible with KWS management a permanent Rapid Response Team base with a car and armed askaris be stationed at Mutara. The community is responsive and the vandalism on the fence can greatly reduce since KWS as an institution has a financial and institutional stake in the fence and would help in policing the fence. A hybrid rapid response team of Ol Pejeta Conservancy and KWS would be ideal.

DATA COLLECTION FOR MONITORING THE FENCE. 4.1 Fence Voltage A standard data form for voltage data on the fence section has been designed. Since the fence sections have different voltages we need a sections data rather a whole property voltage data. Kifuko ranch already have a system that they collect data in sections. A similar system would be useful with all properties. In areas with high elephant pressure this would allow the fencers to try to up the voltage to higher levels. The data form will be revised with the section data being considered. 4.2 Fence breakage data Fence breakage data is being collected by elephant scouts along the sections of the fence. A system where the fencers call the elephant scout whenever there is a breakage is being implemented. Due to lack of communication equipment (phones) in some places it is not working very well. In Ngorare for example, we do not have a dedicated person to collect fence breakage data. In all other places, elephant scouts are collecting fence breakage data. A revised data form that includes vandalism and theft of insulators has been included. The information flow from the fencers to scouts to LWF/LEP/Ranch management is demonstrated by the conceptual framework below. Fig 2: Data and action/response flow

Fencer

Laikipia Wildlife forum Fence Laikipia Elephant Project Kenya Wildlife Service Ol Pejeta Conservancy Other Stakeholders

Ranch Management

Fencer Scouts

Fencer

Fencer

4.3 Data Collection Schedule The voltage record forms will be filled daily with fence section readings in the morning and in the evening (8.am and 6p.m.). Fence scouts will collect the voltage data from the ranches and submit them to a designated clerk at LEP/LWF. Fence breakage data forms will be filled every time there is a fence breakage. The LWF/LEP fence officer will collect the forms every fortnight and deliver them to a designated clerk.

Fence breakage maps will be produced every end of the month based on the data collected. To ensure quality of data, speed and accuracy, a good rapport between the fence scouts and the fencers need to be established. Recommendation: LEP push to talk phones be issued to fencers and scouts/CLOs as follows

Institution /person ADC Mutara KWS Mutara Camp David Wanjau LEP Joseph Wahome LEP Kifuko Farm Lombala Mwangi Mburu LEP Mwenje

No of Phones 4 2 1 1 3 3 1

Institution /person Ngorare James Lobenyoi LEP Nelson Mbuguru LEP Martin KahindiCLO LWF Gitonga Nteere CLO LWF Virginia Nyaguthii - CLO LWF Laikipia Nature Conservancy Total

No of Phones 3 1 1 1 1 1 2 25

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Support ADC and other properties with tools and other needs as per the needs assessment above. Upgrade the fence configuration to make it more efficient and increase its deterrence value for elephants. This can be by adding the projections or constructing the short porcupine fence in pressure points. Involve the community more especially areas bordering on ADC Mutara. The committee should always involve the ranch management and provincial administration. Community fence committee needs to be formed at Ngorare and re-activated in Pesi. LWF/LEP/KWS to help develop fence management capacity at ADC. Unlike the other properties where decisions are prompt, in ADC there needs capacity to manage the fence at management level. My recommendation would be ADC Mutara to dedicate one person to work with the Ol Pejeta Conservancy head fencer as an understudy until he has developed capacity to effectively manage fence. LWF/LEP/KWS to speed up the protocol agreement with Ol Pejeta so they can support the ADC section of the fence. KWS to relocated their field base from Ngobit to Mutara to adapt to the changing spatial pattern of Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) on the ground.. This will help in managing

the problem animals more efficiently. The Mutara camp only needs new metal doors for the armoury and radio room. Issue communication equipment (radios or phones) to fencers to enhance data collection and coordination. Individual ranches should cater for maintenance, charging and airtime used on the phones. Survey at Matigari to establish exact cost for the ring fence and the community contribution to the undertaking. MINUTES OF MUTARA FENCE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 9TH JULY 2008 AT CHIEFS OFFICE MUTARA Present: 1. Charles Macharia 2. Peter Kiai 3. Halima Hussein 4. Kinyua Kipokele 5. Shadrack 6. Gabriel Njenga 7. David Wachira 8. Assistant Chief Absent with Apology 1. Gitonga Nteere 2. Jane Rotich Absent without apology 1. Aten Marekot 2. Representative PRELIMINARIES The fence officer called the meeting to order at 12.30 p.m. and thanked the members for availing themselves at such short notice and also thanked the chief for hosting the meeting in her office. He explained the importance of having every community represented in he fence committee and also ADC and scouts involvement in the committee. AGENDA 1. Constituting the Committee 2. Fence Damage 3. Fence patrol Epir farm CLO Central Unit Kiamariga Area Suguroi Area Check Point Area Bondeni ADC Mutara Management Fence officer Laikipia Wildlife Forum Fence Scout Laikipia Elephant Project Mutara Location

4. A.O.B MIN 1/7/2008 CONSTITUTING THE COMMITTEE The members were briefed by Madam Chief why each had been selected to represent his community interests in the fence committee. She emphasized on the need to community back to community members that the fence had not been erected to keep out specific communities. The fence officer explained the benefit of the fence to all communities and emphasised that when elephants break out they cannot discriminate tribe. Members pointed out the challenges they are facing due to the ongoing drought and were happy that the committee has a representative from ADC Mutara where they are grazing their animals illegally. MIN 2/7/2008 FENCE DAMAGE Mr. Kiai said the fence is not working in his area (along Mutara river) because elephants are coming to their farms just like they used to when there was no fence. He attributed this to the fence having no voltage and said the perception and the optimism that the people had on the fence is changing. Mr. Macharia said the pastoralists were the ones responsible for damaging the fence. Mr. Kipokele said he cannot watch his cattle die when there is grass on the other side of the fence. Ms. Halima Hussein supported Mr. Kipokele and said whether ADC liked it or not they would graze because eve others were grazing. Madam, Chief asked the ADC representative what is the official position of ADC on outsiders grazing there. Shadrack the ADC representative said ADC being 63000 acres was just enough for their 6000 heads of cattle. This elicited a heated argument with community members saying the numbers grazing illegally were more than 10000 and that the ADC workers were corruptly charging the grazers. At this point, Madam chief pointed out that it would have been better if Rashid, the manager, would have been present. She said that it is an open secret that ADC workers were the ones allowing illegal grazers into the ranch thereby further damaging the fence. Mr. Njenga challenged the members to come up with solutions instead of passing the blame. He asked community members how many animals they, the neighbours of ADC have from Suguroi to Pesi. They came up with 350-400 heads of cattle and over 2000 goats and sheep. The ADC representative said that this is a manageable number but the problem arises when you allow one group the other ones would want to come in. He gave an incident last year when Samburu herdsmen burnt ADC pasture when they were ordered out. Community members said this happened because of selective permission to some and disallowing others. The members resolved to have another meeting on Saturday 12th June 2008, to talk to ADC management about allowing only neighbours to graze in ADC during this drought period. In return the neighbours would help in monitoring the fence. MIN 3/7/2008 FENCE PATROL The members assigned themselves duties to patrol sections of the fence adjacent to their areas and work with ADC fencers on making the fence more efficient. To make this more efficient they also resolved to increase the committee by two more members, one near the danglers after Ngobit Junction and at other end near Epir ranch. David Wanjau was assigned the responsibility of communicating this to the new members during the market day at Kiamariga. A.O.B.

The members resolved to have another meeting on Saturday to further deliberate on the way forward. Mr. Njenga gave apologies as he would not be available to attend the meeting. There being no other business, the meeting ended at 2.30 p.m. Signed: Secretary Date:..

Signed: Chairman

Date:..