Location:
It's located at Kajiado Central, Matapato South Rangelands.
Introduction
Oldoinyio Sampu conservancy is a community owned conservancy that covers an area of 11210.80 Hectares in the Kajiado Central Matapato South Rangelands. It was started by 81 Maasai land owners who collectively agreed to do wildlife conservation alongside Pastoralism which is their economic activity. The land owners arrived at this agreement after witnessing success in the formation of a number of conservancies in Kajiado County. This Pastoralists resolved to work on an initiative that will help them conserve the wildlife present in the rangelands as well as resource sharing.
Conservation Philosophy
Oldoinyio Sampu conservancy community believes that doing conservation is a contribution to one of God’s assignments of protecting and taking care of His creation.
Conservancy Objectives
- Contributing to the wellbeing of the ecosystem by carrying out activities that are environmentally friendly.
- Develop alternative income generating opportunities to the community such as bee keeping, game viewing among others.
- Create awareness to the communities bordering the conservancy to earn more space for conservation.
- Appreciate wildlife conservation in the conservancy by starting projects that benefit the locals.
Physical Features
Vegetation
Most of the areas covered by the conservancy are made of mountain vegetation as most of the area is hilly.
Seasonal Rivers
The conservancy has three seasonal rivers: Lesonkoyo, Okeju le Kumpa, and Oldoinyio Sampu river.
Hills
The conservancy has several hills which define it. The conservancy got its name from one of its famous hills, Oldoinyio Sampu. Other hills include; Kumpa hills, Lolayioni, Nemampuli, and Norkuman. All these hills have been named after stories that happened years ago. For instance, Lolayioni hill is said to be named after a young boy who got lost and found on that hill after a month. Nemampuli hill is named for it had a tree on its top that resembled an umbrella. Today, the conservancy has several species of trees. Norkuman hills is named after its rich wood that is suitable for making wood clubs. This wood is a prestige to the local communities.
Water Sources
The main sources of water for both human and wildlife consumption in the conservancy are earth dams and boreholes. These boreholes and earth dams are either community or privately owned. For the boreholes, the main challenge faced is fuel due to its rising cost. Earth dams also dry up during the drought season and are only reliable during the wet seasons. The earth dams in the conservancy include; Olé Moss, Kumpa dam, Miton dam, Olé Saitoti dam, Olé Issa dam, Musala dam, Zechariah dam, and Olé Nkaburi dam among others. The conservancy has nine boreholes that are both privately and community owned.
Roads and Network Coverage
The conservancy has several roads that can be used to access different centres around the conservancy as well as towns on the main road. Most parts of the conservancy have good communication network coverage.
Institutions in the Conservancy
The conservancy has two primary schools and several feeder schools. It also has a health Centre at Kumpa Town, along with a number of churches.
Climate
The area covered by the conservancy receives rainfall between 500 - 800 mm per year. It receives short rains between September and December and long rains between March and June.
Ecological Zone
The conservancy is found on the plains characterized by acacia thorn vegetation such as Acacia tortilis (oltepesi), Acacia Seyal (olerai), Balanites Egyptiaca (olng'osua), Acacia Melifera (Oiti), and Commiphora Africana (Osilalei) among others. On hilltops, the conservancy has a dominance of Tarchonanthus carmforatus (oleleshua) vegetation among others.
Scenic Features
The conservancy has good hiking sites on its beautiful hills. This includes the famous Oldoinyio Sampu hill and the iconic Kumpa hills. Oldoinyio Sampu hills are good water reservoirs that help people get water, especially during the rainy seasons.
Iconic Species of Wildlife and Birds
The conservancy has a diverse number of wildlife and bird species. The most notable are leopards and wild dogs that have the conservancy as their migration route. Monkeys stand out in the conservancy because of their growing numbers.