Lake Naivasha Riparian Association is a charity organization founded in 1929 by land owners bordering the lake under the name the Lake Naivasha Riparian Owners Association with the broad vision of enhancing the ecological integrity of a beautiful, diverse & productive wetland by supporting sustainable development through advocating for wise use of the lakes resources to conserve it for the current and future generations.
The Association later became the Lake Naivasha Riparian Association in recognition of the fact that landowners were not the only stakeholders. The Association draws its members from a variety of backgrounds, including small individual plot owners, large horticultural farmers, dairy and ranching operations, hotel owners, pastoralists, fishermen, as well as the Kenya Geothermal Energy Generating Company (KenGen), the Kenya Wildlife Service, Naivasha Municipal Council, the Ministry of Water Resources, the National Environmental Secretariat, the Fisheries Department, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
The main objective of the Association is to ensure sound environmental management of the lake’s resources. It advocates for good practice and establishes mechanisms to implement environmental policy, legislation and regulations with each individual member, group of members, and the relevant government and NGO sectors.
Our Membership is Categorized as Below
I. Individual member: A titled Land owner whose land is contiguous to the lake but uses his/ her land for residential purpose
II. Corporate member: A titled Land owner whose land is contiguous to the lake and utilized this piece of land for commercial ventures
III. Individual Associate Member: An individual who does not own land contiguous to the lake but is a member by association
IV. Corporate Associate Member: A corporate entity/ Institution that does not own land contiguous to the lake but is a member by association
Lake Naivasha Riparian Association (LNRA) is a pioneer example of a local community taking the lead in initiating major actions, and achieving results for the long-term conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is an outstanding demonstration of how to implement two major objectives of the Ramsar Convention conservation and wise use of wetlands for the well-being of local populations, by building consensus on major issues to be addressed, and increasing commitment on the steps to be taken by various stakeholders.
Major achievements of the Association include:
- Designation of the Lake Naivasha Wetlands as a Ramsar site.
- Development of a management plan for the Ramsar site (1996), with a view to extending the plan to the catchment during the implementation process. This plan provided the foundation for the development of an existing plan for the Lake and its catchment “The Lake Naivasha Basin Integrated Management Plan – LMBIMP”. The full document can be obtained on the following link….
- Creation of a Management Plan Implementation Committee to steer the implementation of the plan ( 1997).
- Development of Codes of Conduct representative of the wider community including Government, annexed to the management plan, for various groups of stakeholders (flower growers, tourism operators, beef and dairy producers, urban developers, geothermal power generation).
- Acting as a catalyst in processes such as the introduction of drip feed irrigation, upgrading the municipal sewage treatment works, opposing the alienation of riparian land, etc.
- Beginning the long-term monitoring process from which to revise and update the management plan.
LNRA is an inspiring example of community leadership, and it demonstrates that conservation and wise use of wetlands can be achieved in Africa.
Governance Structure
The Association operates under a constitution established by members. This constitution provided for the establishment of a twelve member committee and a secretariat to oversee the running of the Association and to represent and implement the agenda set by the membership of the Association.
Leadership in the committee is distributed as follows; the Chairman, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, plus eight members. There also exists sub-committees where all members of the committee serve in different capacities as captured below;
I. The Executive Committee which is composed by the four officials of the larger committee plus the General Manager of the Association who is an employee and a coopted member. This committee is tasked to oversee the implementation of the Association’s agenda and objectives to ensure the accomplishment of the broad Vision and oversee the smooth running of the Association.
II. The Land Disputes and Lake Access Committee which is composed of four members plus the General Manager. This committee is tasked to Help address and resolve land related disputes between and among members, Help address lake access disputes, Steer/ guide discussions on establishing and marking riparian boundary and regulation riparian land to enhance its protection and conservation.
III. The Scientific, Environmental Monitoring and Wildlife Management Committee which is largely composed of coopted members who are scholars on diverse areas of specialization ranging from ecology and hydrology among other areas in the Environmental Science. The committee is also composed of four members plus the General Manager. This committee is tasked to Identify research gaps and guide environmental research and monitoring programmes within the Lake and adjacent areas, Collate and disseminate research and environmental monitoring findings to members and the general public, Identify and establish research and monitoring partnerships, and Mobilize funding for research and monitoring programmes.
IV. The Communication and Membership Committee which is also composed of four members plus the General Manager. The committee is tasked to Establish and initiate the Association’s communication strategy to enhance direct engagement with actual and potential members, the wider stakeholder groups and the general public and further decide on the means for disseminating information.
In running the above stated activities, the Association is assisted by a secretariat comprising of two employees, the General Manager and the Education Officer, who implement resolutions passed by the Committee of the Association.
The Committee operates under a calendar running from January to December and hold meetings quarterly with an Annual General Meeting held at the beginning of every year.