Community livestock grazing programme on Lewa

Several areas on Lewa have high biomass of moribund grass material that has accumulated in the past several years.  These grassland areas are mostly dominated by Pennisetum stramineum and P. mezianum grass species and are not preferred by plains game.  Over time, prescribed burning has been used to remove this moribund grass material and improve the quality of habitats for the grazers.  Similarly, livestock grazing can reduce the high biomass and smother the moribund grass material through trampling.  Grazing can therefore produce desired results when alternated with prescribed burning within a given period of time.  Likewise, grazing is beneficial as it causes minimal damage to woody vegetation, and causes minimal damage to small plains game, invertebrates and reptiles.

Large herds of livestock are needed to lower the high biomass grass material.  To acquire the right numbers, livestock from communities that neighbours Lewa to the east, west and northern sides were allowed to graze on designated blocks commencing January 2005.  These blocks had grass biomass >6000kg/ha as estimated using a purposely-designed disc pasture meter by the Lewa Research Department.  The blocks were also dominated by P. stramineum and P. mezianum grass species. 

 The management of the grazing programme is as follows:

• Each area has a grass root committee headed by a chairman.  This committee oversees all grazing matters in the designated block
• All the chairmen and their assistants sit in an overall committee that has its chairman.  This committee meets bimonthly or as need arises together with personnel from Research, Community and Security departments
• The overall committee is the custodian of all blocks designated for grazing.  It has executive powers to ensure that rules and regulations are followed to the letter and will deals with cases of indiscipline
• Each area has a register of all livestock owners and numbers of livestock.  Each livestock owner has a card/gate pass that allows him access and to graze on Lewa, and must complete a disclaimer form before being allowed to graze 
• Impromptu checks are carried out to ensure compliance with laid down rules and regulations.  Any herder who violates the regulations is banned from grazing on Lewa after the third warning
• Wildlife has a right of way and grazing should have minimum impact to tourism
• Livestock leaves Lewa immediately after the commencement of the rainy period
• This grazing arrangement is not binding and is not precedent to future community livestock grazing.  Lewa retains the rights to terminate the grazing without consulting the livestock owners.

Over 1500 herds of community cattle graze on Lewa each day.  The biomass of grass on grazed blocks has been quantified and it has gone down by over 50%.  The moribund grass has been smothered and this should promote regeneration of nutritious grass with the onset of the rainy season and hence attract plains game.  Damage to the woody vegetation has been negligible.

We believe that Lewa’s relationship with the neighbouring communities has been further enhanced through this grazing arrangement. We have now formed the grazing association and registered in the government office and they help in the management of the same.