KWS Partnerships & External Relations

Conservation is a shared
undertaking, by design.

From international conservation science to community conservancies, corporate sponsors to bilateral government agencies — KWS works within a network of over 80 active partnerships. None of Kenya's conservation outcomes happen in isolation.

KWS Partnership Network — Five Categories, 80+ Active Partners
KWS 80+ PARTNERS International Conservation NGOs IRF · Save the Rhino · AWF · WWF San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Government & Bilateral USAID · KfW (Germany) · EU JICA (Japan) · Tanzania TAWIRI Corporate & Tourism Safari operator consortium Telco & banking sponsors 12 active corporate sponsors Community Conservancies Northern Rangelands Trust Maasai Mara conservancies 400+ conservancies network-wide Research & Academic University of Nairobi · AERP 62 institutions, 23 countries

Partner Network

Five Categories of Partnership

Each category brings a different kind of value — funding, expertise, market access, scientific rigour, or local legitimacy. Selected partners are listed under each category; this is a representative sample, not an exhaustive directory.

International Conservation NGOs
Global organisations providing funding, technical expertise, and international visibility for species-specific programmes — particularly elephant and rhino recovery.
23 active partnerships
International Rhino Foundation
Genetic science, breeding recommendations for the black rhino metapopulation
Since1997
Save the Rhino International
Ranger equipment, community scout funding for rhino sanctuaries
Since2010
African Wildlife Foundation
Landscape conservation, corridor protection across Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem
Since2005
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Movement ecology research, Grevy's zebra drought resilience programme
Since2015
AfriNat Foundation
Electric fencing infrastructure, drone fleet expansion for rhino sanctuaries
Since2019
Government & Bilateral Partners
Foreign governments and multilateral agencies providing development financing, infrastructure investment, and cross-border conservation coordination.
14 active partnerships
USAID
Anti-poaching technology, KWIP platform development funding
Since2008
KfW Development Bank (Germany)
Protected area infrastructure financing, sanctuary fencing programmes
Since2012
European Union Delegation to Kenya
Community conservancy revenue-sharing programme co-financing
Since2016
JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)
Ranger training academy infrastructure, equipment grants
Since2014
TAWIRI (Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute)
Cross-border elephant corridor monitoring, joint rhino translocation protocol
Since2009
Research & Academic Institutions
62 universities and research bodies hold active research permits, contributing data to KWIP and shaping evidence-based management decisions.
62 institutions, 23 countries
University of Nairobi
Lead Kenyan institution for elephant genealogy and HWC research
Since1985
Amboseli Elephant Research Project
50+ years of continuous elephant family data — the world's longest-running study of its kind
Since1972
Colorado State University
Social network analysis collaboration on elephant family genealogy project
Since2011
National Museums of Kenya
Ornithology research, aerial census of pelican breeding colonies
Since1995
Corporate & Tourism Partners
Private sector sponsors funding specific programmes in exchange for recognition and engagement opportunities — see partnership tiers below.
12 active corporate sponsors
Kenya Safari Operators Consortium
Concession fees fund ranger patrol units in member-operated conservancies
Since2003
Telecommunications Sponsor (National Carrier)
KWSPay digital payment infrastructure, network connectivity for remote ranger posts
Since2021
Banking Sector Sponsor
Elephant collar fund — corporate matching programme for GPS collar costs
Since2018
Community Conservancies
400+ community conservancies form the backbone of corridor protection — co-managed land outside formal park boundaries, essential to migration routes.
400+ conservancies network-wide
Northern Rangelands Trust
Umbrella body for 39 community conservancies across northern Kenya, including Samburu corridor
Since2004
Maasai Mara Conservancies Association
15 conservancies bordering Maasai Mara National Reserve, revenue-sharing coordination
Since2006
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Flagship private conservancy partner — black rhino sanctuary, joint security operations
Since1990

Partnership Spotlights

Three Partnerships, Measured Impact

Every partnership has a story behind the relationship — and a number that shows what it has changed.

International Conservation NGO
International Rhino Foundation
Since 1997, IRF's genetic analysis has guided every major translocation decision in Kenya's black rhino metapopulation — the framework now adopted by 12 other African countries.
28 years
Continuous genetic partnership
Black Rhino Recovery Programme
Research & Academic
Amboseli Elephant Research Project
The world's longest-running study of a wild mammal population — 53 years of individual-level data on more than 3,000 elephants across multiple generations.
1,648
Individually known elephants, Amboseli
African Elephant Programme
Community Conservancy
Northern Rangelands Trust
39 community conservancies covering 42,000 km² of corridor land — protecting the Samburu-Laikipia elephant corridor and employing hundreds of community scouts.
42,000 km²
Corridor land under co-management
Community Conservation

The Network in Numbers

What 80+ Partnerships Add Up To

These figures span the full partner network — not any single relationship — and reflect cumulative contributions reported across recent annual reports.

80+
Active partnerships
11%
Of own-source revenue from donor & partnership grants
Sh62M
AfriNat fencing investment, 2019–2023
Sh48M
Save the Rhino contributions since 2010
23
Countries represented in research partnerships

Corporate Partnership Tiers

For Businesses Looking to Partner

Corporate partnerships are structured into four tiers based on annual contribution, each with a defined set of recognition and engagement benefits. All corporate funding is directed to specific, reportable programme areas — never general administration.

Conservation Ally
KES 1M – 5M annually
Logo recognition on KWS digital channels
Annual impact report for sponsored programme
Employee volunteer day at a partner conservancy
Strategic Partner
KES 20M – 50M annually
Everything in Conservation Partner
Multi-year programme co-design with KWS technical teams
Annual recognition at KWS stakeholder events
Priority access to KWIP research datasets relevant to sponsored area
National Partner
KES 50M+ annually
Everything in Strategic Partner
Formal MoU with Director-General's office
Joint announcements for major conservation milestones
Seat at annual partnership strategy review

How to Partner With KWS

From First Conversation to Signed Agreement

Whether you're an international NGO, a research institution, a corporate sponsor, or a community organisation, the process for establishing a formal partnership with KWS follows the same broad path — though timelines and documentation requirements vary by partnership type.

1
Initial Contact & Concept Note
Submit a brief concept note to the Partnerships Office outlining the proposed area of collaboration, your organisation's background, and indicative scale of contribution or activity.
2
Programme Alignment Review
Relevant directorate (conservation, security, community, tourism) reviews the proposal against current strategic priorities and identifies the right internal counterpart.
3
Due Diligence
Standard due diligence on the partner organisation — for corporate partners this includes review against KWS's ethical sponsorship guidelines (no extractive industries, tobacco, or arms-related sponsors).
4
Memorandum of Understanding
A formal MoU is drafted defining scope, duration, financial commitments, reporting obligations, and — for research partnerships — data sharing terms consistent with the KWIP framework.
5
Launch & Ongoing Reporting
Partnership activities begin, with regular reporting cadence agreed in the MoU — typically quarterly for active programmes, annually for funding-only relationships.

Start a Conversation

The Partnerships Office within the Legal & Corporate Affairs directorate handles all incoming partnership inquiries — routing them to the appropriate technical team based on the proposed area of work.

Partnerships Office
partnerships@kws.go.ke
General inquiries — concept notes, MoU discussions, corporate sponsorship.
Research Partnerships
research@kws.go.ke
Academic and research institution partnerships — see also the research permits process.
Community Conservancy Liaison
community@kws.go.ke
For conservancy associations seeking co-management agreements or revenue-sharing arrangements.
Research Permit Categories