Today, I write not just as a Maasai guide, but as someone deeply connected to this land, its people, and its fragile ecosystems. The recent announcement about the potential halting of USAID funding under the incoming administration of President Trump casts a shadow over the future of conservation in the Maasai Mara. This decision threatens not just wildlife, but the livelihoods, health, and cultural heritage of over 200,000 people who call the Greater Maasai Mara home.
Let me walk you through why this matters—deeply, personally, and profoundly.
On January 24, 2025, President Trump fulfilled his pre-election promise to eliminate USAID, initiating a sweeping overhaul of U.S. foreign assistance programs. Just this week, on February 10, 2025, over 10,000 USAID staff were placed on administrative leave, and a comprehensive freeze on all foreign aid was officially enacted, halting ongoing projects and funding commitments worldwide. See the notice here.
Background on USAID Funding to Maasai Mara & Conservancies
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has played a pivotal role in supporting conservation efforts within the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem—an area encompassing the Masai Mara National Reserve and over 20 community conservancies. Recognizing the critical importance of the Mara’s biodiversity, USAID launched a $6.5 million initiative (2023–2028) aimed at securing wildlife habitats, enhancing community livelihoods, and promoting sustainable development. This funding supports a holistic conservation model that integrates biodiversity protection, gender empowerment, climate resilience, and community health.
Through partnerships with organizations like the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA), USAID’s programs focus on capacity building for conservancies, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and promoting indigenous knowledge systems. Importantly, USAID has been instrumental in fostering women and youth-led enterprises, strengthening land rights, and addressing gender-based violence. By linking conservation with community well-being, USAID’s funding ensures that protecting wildlife also means improving the lives of the Maasai people who coexist with it.
In 2023, the United States disbursed a record $66 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA), representing just 0.2% of its Gross National Income (GNI)—well below the internationally agreed-upon target of 0.7%. While this figure makes the U.S. the largest donor in terms of absolute volume, it highlights a persistent gap between global commitments and actual disbursements. In this broader context, the $6.5 million allocated to support Maasai Mara Conservancies in Kenya over five years is a tiny fraction—just 0.0098%—of the total U.S. ODA budget.
Though seemingly modest, this funding holds disproportionate significance for the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem, directly impacting biodiversity conservation, local livelihoods, and climate resilience. When compared to the vast scale of U.S. foreign aid, it underscores how even small allocations can have transformative impacts at the local level, especially in ecologically sensitive and globally significant regions like the Maasai Mara.
Understanding the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem
The Greater Maasai Mara isn’t just the famous National Reserve. It’s a sprawling ecosystem that includes:
- Masai Mara National Reserve (the core wildlife area)
- Over 20 community conservancies to the north and east, where local Maasai communities co-manage the land with conservation groups
These conservancies aren’t just wildlife sanctuaries—they are lifelines. They represent a bold, successful experiment in conservation where local communities benefit directly from protecting nature. Growing up in Olturusho, I saw firsthand how the establishment of conservancies transformed lives—offering not just jobs, but hope.
🚨 What’s at Stake with the Halting of USAID Funding?
USAID’s $6.5 million program, scheduled from 2023 to 2028, was designed to:
- Strengthen all 24 existing conservancies and create 5 new ones
- Combat human-wildlife conflict, ensuring both people and animals are safe
- Empower Maasai women and youth through nature-based businesses
- Promote indigenous knowledge systems that respect Maasai traditions
- Improve healthcare access, focusing on reproductive health, maternal care, and combating gender-based violence
This isn’t just about conservation—it’s about people, culture, and survival.
🦏 1. Conservation Setbacks: Wildlife Will Suffer
Without USAID’s support:
- Wildlife corridors will shrink as landowners, struggling without conservancy payments, lease their lands to agriculture or development.
- Poaching risks will rise as conservancies lose funding for ranger patrols.
- Human-wildlife conflict will escalate. Imagine a family losing their only cow to a lion without any compensation—without USAID, conflict resolution programs may disappear.
I’ve seen how critical these programs are. In 2018, a lion named Morani wandered into a village near my home. Instead of retaliation, the community called rangers funded by conservation grants. Morani was safely relocated. Without such support, Morani’s story might have ended differently.
👩🏾 2. The Silent Victims: Women and Youth
USAID isn’t just about animals; it funds projects that empower Maasai women and youth.
- Women-led enterprises—like beadwork cooperatives—will lose vital grants.
- Girls’ education programs combatting early marriage and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) could be halted.
- Youth employment in eco-tourism and conservation will dry up, pushing young people towards urban migration or worse, involvement in illegal activities.
My sister, Nasieku, benefited from one such program. She became one of the first women in our village to work in wildlife monitoring—a role once unthinkable for Maasai women. Today, she inspires girls to dream bigger. Will her daughters have the same opportunities without USAID?
🌳 3. Community Health in Crisis
The Population-Health-Environment (PHE) approach funded by USAID isn’t just about saving elephants—it’s about saving lives.
- It provides maternal healthcare in remote villages where hospitals are days away.
- It addresses gender-based violence in communities where such issues are often hidden.
- It integrates family planning with environmental education, helping families make informed choices.
In my village, a mobile health clinic funded by USAID saved the life of my neighbor’s wife during childbirth complications. This isn’t theoretical—it’s life and death.
🌍 4. The Bigger Picture: A Setback for Climate Resilience
The Maasai Mara is on the frontlines of climate change. Droughts are becoming more severe, and wildlife migration patterns are shifting.
- USAID-funded climate programs help communities adapt, from water conservation projects to sustainable grazing practices.
- Without these, we risk overgrazing, land degradation, and even more human-wildlife conflict.
I remember the drought of 2017. Without proper pasture management, many families lost their cattle—their only source of income. USAID’s grazing programs helped prevent such disasters later. Without them, history could repeat itself.
🚩 What Can Be Done? A Call for Global Solidarity
Halting USAID funding isn’t just a political decision—it’s a human one.
- To policymakers: Conservation is not charity; it’s an investment in global biodiversity and cultural heritage.
- To travelers and eco-tourists: Your safari dollars matter more than ever. Choose conservancies that reinvest in communities.
- To global citizens: Raise your voice. Advocate for continued support for conservation efforts worldwide.
🤝 A Personal Plea from the Heart of the Mara
When I was a boy in Olturusho, my grandfather told me, “The land is our blood. Without it, we are lost.”
Today, I see that this land isn’t just ours—it’s the world’s. The Great Migration, the roar of lions, the wisdom of the Maasai people—these belong to humanity. But without support, without solidarity, we risk losing them.
So, I ask you—will you stand with us?
Not just for the Maasai Mara, but for the future of our shared planet.
Practical Solutions to Address the USAID Funding Deficit for Maasai Mara Conservation
The sudden halt of USAID funding presents a significant challenge for the sustainability of conservation programs in the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem. However, both Narok County and the Kenyan national government can implement strategic measures to bridge this funding gap, ensuring that critical programs in wildlife conservation, community development, and ecosystem resilience continue effectively.
🏞️ A. Strategies for Narok County Government
- Diversify Tourism Revenue Streams
- Allocate a Portion of Park Entry Fees to Conservation: Designate a fixed percentage of existing park ticket fees specifically for conservation efforts within the Maasai Mara. By earmarking part of the revenue from the over 300,000 visitors annually, this approach could generate millions of dollars to directly support conservancies, fund wildlife protection programs, and strengthen community-led conservation initiatives—all without increasing the cost for tourists.
- Promote High-Value, Low-Impact Tourism: Encourage luxury eco-tourism models that focus on sustainability, attracting high-paying tourists while reducing environmental degradation.
- Strengthen Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
- Collaborate with Private Conservancies: Work closely with organizations like the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA) to attract private investors and corporate sponsors focused on conservation.
- Leverage CSR Initiatives: Engage Kenyan and international corporations to support conservation through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, particularly in sectors like tourism, technology, and finance.
- Enhance Local Community Involvement
- Empower Local Enterprises: Support women- and youth-led nature-based businesses to create alternative livelihoods, reducing reliance on donor funding.
- Community Conservation Trust Funds: Establish local conservation trust funds managed transparently by community representatives, allowing for direct local contributions and donor diversification.
- Improve Financial Accountability and Transparency
- Audit and Reallocate Existing Funds: Review county budgets to identify potential reallocations toward critical conservation and community programs. Transparent fund management can also attract alternative donors.
🇰🇪 B. Strategies for the Kenyan National Government
- Establish a National Conservation Endowment Fund
- Create a Kenya Conservation Trust Fund that pools resources from diverse stakeholders, including international donors (outside of USAID), philanthropic foundations, and private investors.
- Example: Similar models in countries like Botswana and Namibia have provided long-term financial security for conservation efforts.
- Engage Alternative International Donors and Multilateral Agencies
- EU, UK, and Scandinavian Governments: Proactively seek support from other major development partners known for their strong conservation focus.
- United Nations Agencies (UNDP, UNEP): Tap into global environmental funds such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
- Implement Eco-Taxation Policies
- Tourism Eco-Tax: Introduce nationwide eco-taxes on tourism activities (flights, hotels, safaris) with proceeds earmarked for conservation.
- Carbon Credits and Climate Financing: Position Kenya as a leader in carbon offset programs, leveraging the Maasai Mara’s ecosystem as a carbon sink in global carbon markets.
- Promote Sustainable Land Use Policies
- Land Leasing Incentives: Offer tax breaks to private landowners who lease their land for conservancy purposes rather than agriculture or real estate.
- Climate Resilience Grants: Secure climate adaptation funding, especially as Maasai Mara is vulnerable to climate change impacts.
- Enhance National Tourism Campaigns
- “Adopt a Conservancy” Initiative: Launch global campaigns encouraging international tourists, celebrities, and philanthropists to “adopt” and financially support specific conservancies.
- Diaspora Engagement: Engage the Kenyan diaspora to contribute to conservation efforts through organized fundraising campaigns.
🌍 Final Thought: Turning Crisis into Opportunity
While the loss of USAID funding is a significant setback, it also presents an opportunity for Narok County and Kenya to build more self-reliant, resilient conservation models. By diversifying funding sources, fostering stronger partnerships, and prioritizing sustainable development, Kenya can not only sustain but strengthen the legacy of the Maasai Mara for future generations.
The spirit of the Mara has always been one of resilience. Now, it’s time for that same resilience to shape the future of its conservation.
Additional Helpful Reads;
- USAID Funding Freeze Impact: Trump Cuts International Aid – Population Matters
- US funding pause leaves millions ‘in jeopardy’, insist UN – News.UN.org
- What is USAID and why does Donald Trump want to end it? – BBC
