Ngare Ndare rangers receive vital new uniforms

High in Kenya’s central highlands, the Mount Kenya Ecosystem stretches across a mosaic of protected land that includes Mount Kenya National Park, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Borana Conservancy, and the Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve. It is a landscape shaped as much by people as by nature, yet it still holds extraordinary wildlife within its boundaries: from elephant herds moving through corridors to one of the region’s most important populations of Critically Endangered black rhino. 

At first glance, this place is an Eden, but beneath this awe-inspiring beauty, the landscape faces quiet, constant pressure. Poaching remains an ever-present threat, alongside drought, overgrazing, forest fires, encroachment, and the slow but persistent presence of Human-Wildlife Conflict along its edges. Left without interventions, these pressures erode the habitat and fragment the systems that keep both wildlife and communities resilient. 

Within this complex environment, the Ngare Ndare Forest Trust (NNFT) has spent more than two decades quietly building stability. A charitable trust made up of six community-based organisations, NNFT works closely with a dedicated team of 28 rangers who patrol, monitor, and protect the Forest every day of the year. Their work is rarely visible from the outside, but it is central to the continued security of the ecosystem. These are not easy conditions in which to operate. Ranger work here is physically demanding, often remote. Over time, the basics matter: equipment that works; training that is current; and rangers’ ability to move through the Forest with confidence and authority. 

During 2025, NNFT faced additional pressures following the US Government’s Stop Work Order. A planned support package, which had included a Security Operations Standard Operating Procedures training course and new uniforms for all of the rangers, was not funded as expected. The gap left behind was immediate and practical, affecting both morale and operational readiness. Support from ForRangers helped bridge that gap, with funding directed towards two key areas of ranger welfare: full uniform replacement for all 28 rangers, and the provision of drop-leg medical pouches alongside the restocking of first aid kits to strengthen emergency-response capacity in the field. 

With thanks to ForRangers’ grant, in early 2026, the new uniforms, including camouflage shirts and trousers, jungle trousers, jackets, raincoats, military boots, socks, hats, and berets, were purchased and distributed to the rangers. When the uniforms were issued, the response from the team was immediate and visible. There was a sense of pride that came with being properly equipped again, and a renewed confidence in daily duties. The joy felt for these new uniforms is not superficial. Well-maintained, appropriate uniforms support authority in the field, improve interactions with communities and visitors, and reinforce the professionalism of the ranger teams. Rangers themselves noted a shift in how they felt when engaging with the public and moving through the Forest. What had previously been a source of frustration became, quite literally, something they could wear with pride. 

The impact of this support extends beyond morale. This ecosystem remains a critical refuge for black rhino, and the work of NNFT rangers contributes directly to their protection. Across the wider Lewa-Borana-Ngare Ndare landscape, the black rhino population continues to grow, with several new calves welcomed last year. While this progress is the result of long-term conservation effort across multiple partners, effective, well-supported ranger teams remain a fundamental part of maintaining it. 

What this support has demonstrated is simple but important: when rangers are properly equipped, they are better able to do their jobs, and they are more confident doing them. In turn, this strengthens the integrity of the entire ecosystem they protect. NNFT remains committed to building on this foundation, improving both the welfare and capability of its ranger teams in the years ahead.