TAITA TAVETA, Kenya — Kenya has officially launched the world’s largest rhino sanctuary after President William Ruto unveiled a newly expanded 3,200 square-kilometre conservation landscape in Tsavo West National Park, marking one of the most significant wildlife protection initiatives in the country’s history.
The President described the sanctuary’s expansion as a national and global milestone, linking conservation directly with economic growth, climate resilience, and security.
“From modest beginnings of three rhinos on a three-square-kilometre parcel 40 years ago, the Tsavo West Rhino Sanctuary has grown into a national and global treasure,” President Ruto said during the launch.
“Expanding it to 3,200 square kilometres now positions Tsavo as a secure home for more than 200 rhinos and a major driver of tourism and economic opportunity.”
The expanded sanctuary forms the backbone of Kenya’s push to protect the Eastern Black Rhino, one of the world’s most endangered species. Kenya currently holds nearly 78pc of the global population of the subspecies, placing the country at the centre of global conservation commitments.
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said the Tsavo expansion is the flagship project under the Kenya Rhino Rangeland Expansion Programme (KRREP) and aligns with the Black Rhino Recovery and Action Plan and the National Wildlife Strategy 2030.
According to her, the larger habitat will ease territorial pressure, support genetic diversity and accelerate population growth.
“As we strengthen protection of the black rhino, we are simultaneously opening new frontiers for community benefit-sharing, tourism investment, and long-term ecological stability across the Tsavo landscape,” she said.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director General Prof. Erustus Kanga said upgrading the ecosystem from a confined 92 km² enclosure to a connected 3,200 km² sanctuary was enabled by a major investment in surveillance and monitoring.
He cited LoRaWAN and VHF tracking technology, AI-assisted surveillance, expanded ranger bases, and ecological interventions that prepared the environment for rhino dispersal and long-term settlement.
“This success will be measured not only through a thriving rhino population but also through improved community livelihoods, youth opportunities, and strengthened partnerships across Tsavo,” Prof. Kanga said.
The project has been driven through support from the Kenya Rhino Rangeland Expansion Programme, identified as the lead partner in mobilising resources, scientific support, and landscape-level planning.
The expanded sanctuary also forms part of the government’s broader strategy to embed conservation in national development, linking wildlife protection with tourism revenue, carbon markets, and climate action.
President Ruto has previously directed KWS and the Ministry of Tourism to prepare a unified carbon credits trading framework covering Tsavo East, Tsavo West, and Galana Kulalu as a single conservation and carbon-trading zone, a move expected to generate additional income for communities and improve ecosystem resilience.
The Tsavo conservation block is one of Kenya’s largest wildlife regions and a critical refuge for elephants, lions, cheetahs and endangered species such as the hirola. The expansion now positions Tsavo as a global symbol of rhino recovery and a cornerstone of Kenya’s conservation policy.
Thousands of residents, conservation partners and government officials attended the launch, which is expected to trigger renewed investment in anti-poaching operations, research, tourism infrastructure and youth employment within the wider Taita Taveta region.
The government has projected that the sanctuary will accelerate tourism-based revenue, strengthen community livelihoods and elevate Kenya’s standing as a leading conservation nation.
