Kenyan named winner of Sh10m US varsity prize

A Kenyan conservationist has been awarded $100,000 (Sh10 million) by an American ivy league university for his environmental preservation efforts.

Forty three year-old Tom Lalampaa won the prestigious Bright Award prize given by Stanford University, becoming the first African to clinch the award.

It is granted annually by the university's Law School to an individual working on preserving fragile ecosystems.

He was feted for his work in northern Kenya, where he focuses on ending conflict between rival communities.

"I must give the credit to the people I work with in northern Kenya," said Mr Lalampaa of the win.

"That this award came to Kenya above all the other contenders for this prize, and specifically that it recognises the success of the work we are doing with the communities of northern Kenya, that is really special to me,” he added.

Mr Lalampaa is the second of 17 children whose father was a pastoralist nomad in what is now West Gate Conservancy near Samburu National Reserve.

Currently, he is the chief programmes officer for the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), a Kenyan organisation headquartered near Isiolo that helps develop resilient community conservancies through fund-raising, training, advice and monitoring.

The community conservancy model allows people who traditionally rely on livestock for their survival to also benefit from wildlife conservation, responsible tourism and carry out environmentally-sustainable businesses.

Mr Lalampaa also sits on the board of the Kenya Wildlife Service as well as on the Africa Council of The Nature Conservancy, a global not-for-profit group.