F.a: Strengthening and realization of indigenous peoples? biocultural rights with community protocols in Kenya

General

The indigenous communities in Kenya have continuously been losing their living areas for activities like forestry, agriculture and mining, or expansion of conservation areas. In addition, outside communities have taken over lands belonging to indigenous peoples. Through these processes, the communities' cultural tradition and natural resource base have been eroded. In this project, the Ogiek, Sengwer, Endorois and Elmolo communities have joined forces in an effort to strengthen their biocultural continuity and push for the rights of indigenous peoples locally, nationally and internationally ? utilizing among other things the international conventions and treaties supporting the rights of the indigenous peoples. This project strengthens the communities' land rights and the protection of biodiversity with the help of community biocultural protocols. They document the cultural structures, management systems and procedures based on the communities' traditional knowledge, their territories and natural resources, assess the challenges facing these, and outline legal and political instruments to strengthen the protection of the community interests. During the implementation of the project and on the basis of its outputs, the understanding of the legal rights of the communities in question and their cultural characteristics will also be increased among key stakeholders (such as the government authorities, the research community and civil society actors). The Ogiek and Sengwer are traditionally hunter-gatherer communities, the Endorois nomads and the Elmolo fishermen. The project presentation is partly a continuation of a project previously supported by Siemenpuu in 2020-21. In this project, for the Ogiek and Sengwer, the aim is to utilize the biocultural protocols prepared in the previous project in the rights related advocacy work. The protocol of the Sengwers is also updated based on the current situation of the community. The biocultural protocol of the Endorois community drawn up in 2019 will be updated. Regarding the Elmolo community, a community protocol will be prepared for them. The project will be implemented in Nakuru, Narok, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet and Marsabit counties. The project is estimated to have approx. 6,000 direct beneficiaries, half of whom are women. The project is implemented by Ogiek Peoples? Development Program (OPDP); https://ogiekpeoples.org/.