About Amboseli Ecosystem Trust
The officially gazetted umbrella institution bringing together indigenous Maasai community landowners, government agencies, and global conservation partners to protect 1.3 million acres of contiguous wilderness in southern Kenya.
Uniting Communities & Nature Since 2009
“Where ancient pastoral traditions and wildlife migration routes thrive as one connected, unbroken landscape.”
The Amboseli Ecosystem Trust (AET) is a homegrown, not-for-profit apex body formed in 2009 by the chairpersons and elders of the seven original Maasai group ranches in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and local conservation bodies.
Why was AET formed? The rapid transition from communal pastoral tenure toward individual land subdivision threatened to fracture the ecosystem into fenced plots, blocking ancient elephant corridors and destroying pastoral grazing systems. AET was established to bridge indigenous land sovereignty with modern spatial planning, ensuring people own, manage, and tangibly benefit from conservation.
Grassroots Coordination Hub for Southern Kenya
Uniting 42 community conservancies, Kenya Wildlife Service, and Maasai landowners under one umbrella.
Vision, Mission & Core Values
Approved institutional principles guiding landscape stewardship, community empowerment, and ecological governance across Greater Amboseli.
“An ecosystem where people and nature thrive in harmony.”
A living landscape where wildlife roams unrestricted and pastoral communities prosper with dignity, secure tenure, and celebrated cultural heritage.
“To foster sustainable development through effective conservation in the greater Amboseli Ecosystem.”
Driving ecosystem planning, institutional capacity, rangeland restoration, and wildlife security across the landscape.
Our Five Core Values
Respect for Culture
Cherishing indigenous pastoralist customs, traditional grazing codes, and Maasai ecological wisdom.
Innovation
Merging community wisdom with modern spatial GIS science, satellite tracking, and ecological modeling.
Accountability
Transparent, ethical fiduciary governance, annual audits, and democratic accountability across 42 conservancies.
Collaboration
Uniting indigenous landowners, national government, county leadership, and global conservation partners.
Teamwork
Fostering unity across 744 community rangers, technical officers, community scouts, and village elders.
The Evolution of AET
From a grassroots consensus among Maasai group ranch chairmen to a legally recognized landscape trust coordinating 1.3 million acres and 42 community conservancies.
Conservancy Fever Beckons
Kimana Sanctuary established as the first communally owned wildlife sanctuary in Kenya, followed by Kitirua and Selenkei — establishing the Amboseli landscape as the birthplace of community conservation in East Africa.
United for the Ecosystem
Local pastoralist communities partnered with conservation groups, government agencies, and development partners to forge a unified plan tackling accelerating habitat loss, poaching, soil erosion, and rural poverty.
First Ecosystem Management Plan
Four intense years of stakeholder consensus culminated in the unveiling of the ambitious Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan (AEMP) 2008–2018 — Kenya's first holistic ecosystem-wide master plan.
AET is Born
With foundational backing from group ranch chairs, KWS, and conservation partners, a homegrown, not-for-profit umbrella apex institution — AET — was chartered to spearhead landscape coordination and execute the ecosystem master plan.
Information Hub Mooted
The Noonkotiak Community Resource Centre was officially allocated land by Olgulului-Ololarashi Group Ranch to serve as an ecosystem coordination, ranger logistics, education, and ecological research center.
AEMP is Gazetted into Law
AEMP became the first legal document stipulating the management of an ecosystem to be gazetted by the Government of Kenya under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013.
Revamped AEMP & PIC Gazettement
AET coordinated the 2020–2030 AEMP edition, officially gazetted on Jan 8th 2021. The Project Implementation Committee (PIC) was legally gazetted under AET to enforce spatial zoning and migratory corridors.
Noonkotiak Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking in May 2023 under a USAID-supported partnership, establishing permanent modern AET executive offices, GIS labs, conference training halls, and operations facilities at Noonkotiak.
Strategic Plan 2024–2028
Third-generation institutional plan launched across 8 Strategic Programmes, steering 42 conservancies in 7 groups, benefiting over 90,000 pastoralist families across 1.3 million contiguous acres.
Our Four Strategic Goals
Targeted institutional objectives to secure ecological integrity, build fiduciary resilience, and empower pastoral communities.
Ecosystem Planning & Corridors
Enforce spatial land zoning, halt habitat fragmentation, and secure permanent legal easements for elephant and wildlife migration routes.
Conservancy Institutional Capacity
Build professional governance, statutory registration, and transparent financial dividend systems across all 42 conservancies.
Rangeland Health & Livelihoods
Restore communal pastures through rotational grazing plans, women-led indigenous grass seedbanks, and apiculture livelihoods.
Corporate Growth & Sustainability
Equip the AET Secretariat with sustainable endowment financing, automated GIS M&E databases, and strong fiduciary management.
The Noonkotiak Resource Centre
Situated at the ecological crossroads of Amboseli, the Noonkotiak Community Resource Centre stands as the physical and technological heartbeat of landscape coordination. Built on land provided by the Olgulului-Ololarashi community, it unites rangers, elders, scientists, and planners.
Leadership, Governance & Our Team
Structured across three distinct, transparent tiers to guarantee democratic community oversight, statutory fiduciary integrity, and professional field execution.
Leadership & Governance
Discover the hierarchy uniting the Governing Council (drawn from the 7 group ranches) and the distinguished Board of Trustees providing strategic and legal direction.
Operational Secretariat
Meet our full-time technical executives at Noonkotiak driving daily operations across 42 conservancies, rangeland science, ranger coordination, and finances.
Opportunities & Vacancies
Access active job openings, competitive procurement tenders, requests for proposals (RFPs), and technical terms of reference at Amboseli Ecosystem Trust.
OUR SUPPORTERS
Working in unified alliance with statutory government agencies, grassroots conservation partners, and international development donors across the 1.3 million-acre Greater Amboseli Ecosystem.
Government Agencies
Kenya Wildlife Service
County Government of Kajiado
Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife
NEMA Kenya
Water Resources Authority
Partners
African Wildlife Foundation
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Amboseli Trust for Elephants
KWCA
Big Life Foundation
WWF Kenya
Justdiggit
Lion Guardians
Born Free
IFAW
Olgulului Rangers
Donors
USAID
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Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF)
LCAOF Climate Action
Be Part of Amboseli's Future
Support community-led conservation that protects ancient elephant corridors, restores semi-arid grasslands, and secures sustainable pastoral livelihoods for generations to come.