White-owned farms and conservancies remain significant landholders in Kenya as of 2026, particularly in the Laikipia Plateau region and scattered throughout the Rift Valley highlands. These holdings represent a continuation of settler colonial land appropriation, now reframed as conservation projects. The 2017 land invasions by pastoralist communities (Pokot, Samburu, and others) revealed the precarity of white land ownership in contemporary Kenya and the unresolved questions of historical dispossession and contemporary justice.
Key Facts
- Laikipia Plateau contains the largest concentration of white-owned farms and conservancies in Kenya
- Major conservancies include Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Lewa Conservancy, Borana Conservancy, and others
- Many white-owned properties were alienated from pastoral(particularly Maasai) land during the colonial period
- Contemporary white farmers operate primarily as wildlife conservancies, not traditional farms
- The 2017 land invasions saw Pokot and Samburu pastoralists occupy white-owned farms, demanding historical restitution
- Some farms were burned, livestock driven onto properties, and conflicts turned violent
- White farmers called for military intervention and accused pastoralists of political manipulation
- Pastoralists framed invasions as reclamation of historically stolen land
Laikipia Plateau
The Laikipia Plateau, stretching across central Kenya north of Mount Kenya, contains:
- Approximately 300,000 hectares of land
- Mix of white-owned conservancies, government land, and African Kenyan-owned ranches
- Significant wildlife populations and biodiversity value
- Ongoing tensions between conservation interests and pastoralist grazing rights
- Communities including Samburu, Pokot, and Rendille pastoralists with historical claims
Major Conservancies
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
- Large wildlife conservancy in Laikipia
- Private ownership(though with some international NGO involvement)
- Conservation-focused, protecting endangered species including rhinos and chimpanzees
- Employs local staff and claims to provide community benefits
Lewa Conservancy
- Historic white-owned conservancy in Laikipia
- Founded on former settler farmland
- Managed by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, now with mixed ownership
- Known for conservation successes and community programmes
Borana Conservancy
- White-owned conservancy in Laikipia
- Operates as a private reserve with wildlife tourism
- Represents continuation of white land ownership under conservation framing
Soysambu Conservancy
- Successor to the historic Soysambu ranch of Lord Delamere
- Run by Delamere family descendants
- Combines wildlife conservation with private ranch operations
The 2017 Land Invasions
Context
By 2017, tensions between white farmers and neighbouring pastoralist communities had built over years:
- Pastoralists complained of restricted access to grazing land historically used by their communities
- Population growth among pastoralist communities created pressure on available land
- Climate variability and recurring droughts stressed pastoral systems
- Political mobilization by pastoralist leaders and organizations demanding land justice
- The 2017 general election campaign intensified political tensions and land grievances
The Invasions
Beginning in early 2017(before Kenya's August 2017 elections), armed pastoralist groups(primarily Pokot and Samburu) invaded white-owned farms and conservancies in Laikipia:
- Tens of thousands of cattle were driven onto private farms and conservancies
- Some farms were occupied and burned
- Wildlife was shot or driven from conservancies
- Workers on farms were threatened and sometimes attacked
- Two workers were killed when Pokot herders drove tens of thousands of cattle onto one farm
- White farmers and conservancy operators fled or took defensive measures
White Farmer Response
White farmers and conservancy operators:
- Called for military intervention from the Kenya government
- Appealed to the international conservation community for support
- Portrayed invasions as lawless acts and cattle rustling
- Hired private security and armed response teams
- International media sympathetic to conservation amplified white farmer narratives
- Filed legal complaints and sought court injunctions
Pastoralist Framing
Pastoralist leaders and their advocates framed the invasions differently:
- As reclamation of land historically stolen by colonial settlers
- As assertion of indigenous and historical grazing rights
- As response to conservation policies that excluded pastoralists
- As political action addressing centuries of dispossession
- As resistance to the continuation of colonial and settler land ownership
Disputed Narratives
The 2017 invasions revealed divergent narratives:
- White farmers: "lawless invasions by armed rustlers"
- Pastoralists: "reclamation of stolen ancestral land"
- Conservation advocates: "threat to wildlife and ecosystems"
- Pastoralist advocates: "conservation colonialism that excludes indigenous peoples"
Media coverage was divided along these lines, with international media often favouring white farmer and conservation narratives, while regional media often highlighted pastoralist grievances.
Conservation and Land Ownership
The Conservation Model
Contemporary white-owned holdings in Laikipia are justified primarily through conservation:
- Wildlife protection and ecosystem conservation
- Tourist revenue funding conservation and local employment
- International NGO partnerships and funding
- Claims to biodiversity protection that benefits all Kenyans
Critiques
Critics argue that:
- Conservation serves to legitimize continued settler land ownership
- Conservation models exclude pastoralist land use(which they argue is compatible with wildlife)
- Tourism revenue primarily benefits white owners and international NGOs, not local communities
- Conservation enforcement sometimes conflicts with pastoralist needs
- The model represents "fortress conservation" that privatizes benefit while externalizing costs to local communities
Sustainability Questions
Fundamental questions remain unresolved:
- Is white land ownership sustainable in contemporary Kenya?
- Can conservation goals be achieved while addressing historical land injustice?
- What role should pastoralists have in land management and benefit?
- How should Kenya balance conservation, historical justice, and development?
Contemporary Status(2025-2026)
As of 2026:
- Most white-owned farms remain in place, though security concerns persist
- The 2017 invasions did not result in permanent land transfers
- Government security presence has reduced acute conflict but not resolved underlying grievances
- Conservation continues, but questions about legitimacy and sustainability persist
- Land reform and restitution remain contested and largely unimplemented
- White farmers report ongoing insecurity but have not massively divested