Poster presented at the African Landscapes Dialogue in Addis Ababa, March 6-9, 2017, by John Kamanga on the Role of the South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO). #LandscapesDialogue

1. Landscape
governance in
Kenya’s Southern
Rift landscape
Enkop ang - our
good land, our
common identify,
our common pride
Olningó – building
stakeholder coalitions
through dialogue,
building consensus
and partnerships
Enkiguana –rules of the
game, blending old
and new institutions
that fit the landscape
Enkishon – building
sustainable livelihoods,
based on landscape
resources and new
business opportunities
Eramatare -
responsible resource
management,
blending traditional
practice with modern
science
Landscape Governance in the South Rift, Kenya
The Role of the South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO)
John Kamanga
www.soralo.org
P.O Box 15289,
00509,
Nairobi
+254724441677
Collective capabilities
of landscape actors
Key variables (how to assess) Related indicators
Enkop ang sidai  having deep knowledge of the landscape’s biophysical and socio-economic characteristics
 understanding local history and cultural identity
 understanding current dynamics
 ability to guide people through current changes
 documentation of local stories, customs, traditions, and additional research on resource dynamics
 documentation of oral history, written history, and additional research on the current state-of-the art of local cultural practice
 creating insight in current cultural change processes, influenced by external influences such as infrastructural disclosure, climate change,
demographic change, and modern education
 nurture dialogue with elders, young local leaders, educated Maasai representatives, engaging universities and students
Olningó  understanding stakeholder dynamics (power dynamics, networks)
 understanding conflicts, and the ability to mediate and transform conflicts in collaboration
 ability to create and facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue
 ability to facilitate negotiation processes for fair and inclusive spatial decision-making
 mapping stakeholders, carry out stakeholder analysis
 organising stakeholder meeting
 creating a platform for stakeholder dialogue
 continuous dialogue on current societal change, and empowerment of actors to develop strategies to cope with current changes
Enkiguana  understanding and working from people’s traditional organisational system
 understanding of modern institutional frameworks (policies, politics)
 ability to build bridges between old and new institutions, and ‘craft’ hybrid institutions that fit
in the landscape
 ability to move across political levels and scales, to lobby and advocate for landscape specific
issues regarding land use, legal frameworks, and socio-economic change
 documentation of traditional organisational systems
 research and information on modern legal frameworks, especially the rules and regulations regarding land use, land ownership
 insight in the infrastructural development, and research on the potential impacts this may have on the landscape, engage in policy dialogue at
different levels and scales, including the County level planning process, and national level policy dialogue
Eramatare oonkishu,
Enkishon
 Understanding traditional livelihood systems
 knowing alternative livelihood options, and having the ability of developing these options
 having access to network of economic actors, including potential investors who are willing to
invest in sustainable livelihood improvement
 ability to create an enabling environment for public-private partnerships, and create the
support systems for people to engage
 documentation of traditional livelihood systems
 mapping of alternative livelihood options, including their positive and negative impacts on traditions, land and livelihoods
 knowing the important economic actors, building relations, and developing public-private partnerships which are inclusive and just
 investment opportunities identified, and accompanied with enabling measures that assure all investments to be just, inclusive and sustainable
Eramatare, olmanyara
imasaa
 being familiar with the traditional management practice
 ability to improve traditional management practice with alternative and more sustainable
management options
 having access to modern knowledge and scientific data for management support
 ability to create support mechanisms for people who want to improve their management
system, without losing their tradition
 documentation of traditional management practice, including an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses
 search for alternative management systems, which are based in scientific data and geo-spatial information
 search for supportive technical support, including modern technology such as GIS data systems and participatory data collection through
mobile phones
 training and capacity development of local actors, including an incentive system for people to change their management system
The South Rift area covers over 15,000 square kilometres and is home to more than
250,000 people. The area is predominately open rangelands, and is home to Maasai
pastoralists, their livestock, and large and wide ranging wildlife population. Land tenure
mainly consists of a group ranches in various states of ownership (ranging from
communal to individual) it is flanked by two famous National Protected Areas (the
Maasai Mara National Reserve and Amboseli National Park).
The South Rift Landscape
South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO)
Landscape Governance Framework in the South Rift
“a pastoralist community that is empowered to ensure
security of tenure over their resources in a just and
sustainable manner in order to improve their livelihoods”
SORALO was first established in 2004, as a Land Trust in order to represent the land
owners of the SORALO landscape. SORALO’s vision is one of:
The two main strategic issues within the landscape that SORALO is focusing on are:
Land: ensuring security of tenure and good land use planning
Livelihoods: strengthening existing livelihoods (pastoralism) and diversifying livelihoods.