A severe ecological crisis is unfolding across Kenya’s vast rangelands as decades of unsustainable overgrazing and poor land management have triggered widespread soil erosion, threatening the very foundation of the pastoral economy. Research from the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) reveals that key pastoral counties, including Kajiado, Baringo, and Turkana, are experiencing alarming rates of topsoil loss, degrading the land’s capacity to support vegetation and sustain livestock. This degradation, exacerbated by more frequent and intense droughts linked to climate change, is creating a vicious cycle where diminished pasture forces herders to concentrate animals on shrinking patches of viable land, accelerating the erosion process and pushing the ecosystem toward irreversible collapse.
The immediate consequences are starkly visible in the landscape and in the livelihoods of pastoralist communities. What were once productive grasslands are now being overtaken by invasive plant species and bare, compacted earth that readily turns to dust or generates destructive runoff during rare rain events. This loss of fertile topsoil directly translates into lower cattle weights, reduced milk production, and increased livestock mortality, eroding the primary asset and food source for millions. The resulting scarcity of pasture is also fueling inter-communal conflict as herders are forced to migrate with their animals into neighboring territories in a desperate search for grazing, leading to violent clashes over dwindling resources.
Addressing this complex challenge requires a fundamental shift from crisis management to sustainable land stewardship. ICRAF and its partners are advocating for the widespread adoption of planned grazing models, where livestock are strategically rotated between paddocks to allow grasses to recover fully. Another key strategy is Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), which involves the systematic regrowth of indigenous trees and shrubs from existing root systems, which help anchor the soil, improve water infiltration, and provide fodder. The long-term viability of Kenya’s rangelands depends on integrating these practices with climate-smart policies that support pastoralists as critical custodians of the landscape, ensuring that the ancient practice of pastoralism can adapt and endure in the face of modern environmental pressures.