October 10, 2025, will forever remain engraved in the minds of the Nakukulas community in Turkana County. The community came together with local leaders, government representatives, and Natural Justice to commemorate Mazingira Day 2025. The theme “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience” gives them more hope than ever that the hands they use to restore the community will one day reap the benefits of climate resilience and innovation.
More than a commemorative event, the two-day gathering reaffirmed that Indigenous and pastoralist communities are not passive beneficiaries of environmental programs. The community is a leader in land governance, ecological stewardship, and climate resilience.
Convened by the Nakukulas Community Land Management Committee (CLMC) with support from Natural Justice and the Jerico Tree Nursery Group, the celebration blended legal empowerment, community dialogues, cultural expression, and hands-on restoration work. Natural Justice facilitated sessions linking community land rights to conservation and climate resilience, highlighting the role of CLMCs as custodians of community land under the Community Land Act (2016).
Formed in June 2025, the Jerico Tree Nursery Group played a central role in the event and is set to distribute indigenous seedlings to 12 villages in Nakukulas, with representatives from Lochwaa, reinforcing community-based conservation as a pillar of local climate action.
The Jerico group also staged an environmental drama, using traditional storytelling to convey the importance of conservation, captivating young people and elders alike. Their performance demonstrated how cultural knowledge remains a powerful tool for environmental education.
This initiative received strong recognition from the Deputy County Commissioner from Turkana and community leaders, who applauded Nakukulas for linking community land governance with ecological restoration. Community representatives formally requested continued technical and financial support from Natural Justice and government agencies to scale up these efforts and ensure long-term sustainability.
Land registration has been important for Nakukulas
Having successfully registered its community land in November 2024, Nakukulas’ CLMC is showcasing how secure land tenure strengthens climate resilience. The community has been able to organise, plan, and implement restoration efforts based on their needs, knowledge, and cultural values. A notable best practice emerging from Nakukulas is the integration of restoration into land governance structures.
Mazingira Day 2025 provided a platform to celebrate these innovations and facilitate peer learning between Nakukulas and Lochwaa, who is also currently undergoing a land registration process. Through exchanges on governance, benefit-sharing, and land-use planning, the event showcased the power of community-driven conservation when anchored in legal empowerment, ecological stewardship, and cultural expression.
As Lochwaa advances its own land registration process, it stands to benefit from Nakukulas’ leadership model, especially in establishing transparent governance structures and embedding environmental safeguards within community decision-making frameworks.
The tree planting initiative led by the Jerico Tree Nursery Group received widespread appreciation. Formed by local youth in June 2025, the group produces and distributes indigenous tree seedlings, promotes sustainable land-use practices, and incorporates tree planting into household livelihood systems.
Community members acknowledged the group’s work, praised their leadership in restoration, and requested continued support from the Deputy County Commissioner’s office and Natural Justice. Seedlings were distributed not only within Nakukulas but also to neighboring villages, including Kodekode, Lotiman, and Lokicheda, expanding the restoration footprint across the region.
These community-led efforts support the realisation of Kenya’s constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment (Articles 42, 60, 63, and 69) and align with commitments under the Climate Change (Amendment) Act, 2023, Vision 2030, and the National Environment Policy (2014). Beyond restoring degraded landscapes, these actions build long-term resilience against the impacts of drought and desertification.
This year’s Mazingira Day is a testament to what is possible when communities have the legal tools, ecological knowledge, and institutional support to protect their land.
With continued collaboration between Natural Justice, local government, and community-led groups like Jerico, Nakukulas is emerging as a model for climate-resilient community land governance in arid and semi-arid landscapes.
