From as far as bare eyes can see, the hills of Kachelitwa in Baringo County bear the marks of decades of land degradation. The area has had decades-long episodes of climate-change-driven droughts, and insecurity brought about by banditry and livestock theft. Once productive grazing areas are now barren and eroded, unable to sustain the pastoral livelihoods that generations depended on. Although security has largely been restored by the government, the community continues to face a greater challenge.  

However, in early 2024, new partnerships brought renewed energy to Kachelitwa . Thanks to engagement with the neighboring Mukutan Conservancy, the Kachelitwa community—long uncertain about their options—realized that solutions for some of their most pressing problems were within reach through joint efforts. With support from Mukutan Conservancy, the Wyss Academy for Nature, Green Earth Warriors, and Just Dig It, experts joined the community to assess the damage in the most affected sites and design practical and cost-effective solutions. A 10-acre demonstration plot was identified as the testing ground for restoration methods before scaling up across the wider landscape. 

Thereafter, the partners convened a training session where community members— including women and men—gathered to learn about semicircular bunds, trenches, and gully healing—simple but powerful techniques to capture rainwater, stop erosion, and regenerate vegetation. The community then moved to the demonstration plot to apply their new skills. The excitement was palpable. “We never imagined we could transform our land with such simple methods,” said a participant, her excitement evident as she dug her first bund.  

What began as a small step rapidly developed into a community-led effort. A group of 35 women, later joined by 5 men, formed a landscape restoration group that now meets three times a week to continue the work voluntarily. The group quickly took ownership of the bund-digging activities, with a number of members and community leaders emphasizing, “This is our project—we are not doing it for anyone else, but for ourselves.”  

The results are visible. Nearly 1,000 semicircular bunds have been created, and the momentum is spreading. “We thought restoration would be too expensive and require resources we didn’t have,” recalled the local chief. Neighboring communities have requested to learn from Kachelitwa’s experience, while local leaders have proudly voiced their support.

What began as a technical exercise has grown into a movement of ownership and hope. “We are encouraged every time we visit to assess progress,” noted Antony Wandera, Wyss Academy Programs Manager.

Looking ahead, the community is only at the beginning of its restoration path. Plans are underway to introduce the group to “mindset change” through training in Yatta and to integrate livelihood elements such as fruit tree farming, honey production, and fodder crops into their restoration work. “This will help ease land pressure caused by overreliance on livestock production as the main source of livelihood,” added Antony.  

With every bund and trench dug, and every seed sown, the Kachelitwa community is showing how restoration is achievable and transformative when the community leads the process. For the Wyss Academy for Nature, Kachelitwa illustrates how science and practice can be brought together to co-develop solutions to the linked challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land governance.