Story
In the early 2000s, the Women’s Group, supported by donor agencies, founded Ol Gaboli. From the start, the Women’s Group were instrumental, from selecting the site alongside the Ewaso Nyiro river, to the design of the bandas - crafted from local wood and stone. Co-managing the lodge, Ol Gaboli was a story of success, creating numerous benefits for both the Ilmotiok Community, and the surrounding wildlife.
However, by the late 2010s, their business partner had left, and the lodge was in need of renovation. With generous donor support, this took place in early 2020s, and the Women’s Group took over the running of the lodge, supported by the Northern Rangelands Trust.
Whilst guests still came to visit, the lodge was not as successful as previously, and the Community were receiving fewer benefits than before. Finally, international aid cuts in early 2025 took away a key pillar of support for the lodge, and the Women’s Group decided to look for a new partner.
In June 2025, the Women’s Group, with the support of the Ilmotiok Community, partnered with a new management team. Seasoned from running camps in Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, the team are introducing a new model of community partnership to Ol Gaboli.
Aware that land ownership within Kenya, and the safari industry more broadly, has a complicated, unequal past, this co-management approach looks to create a fairer model to community-based safaris.
