In July 2019, Woody Weeds project partners participated in the Board Meeting of the RUKO conservancy on the Eastern shore of Lake Baringo, Kenya. This conservancy was formed some ten years ago to bring an end to the conflict between the Pokot and Il Chamus communities and to reintroduce the rare Rothschild giraffe in the region. Based on the information provided by the Woody weeds project partners, the Board decided to initiate management of the recently established alien tree Prosopis juliflora, which is considered as a threat to the peace-building process in the region.

Prosopis has recently started invading the conservancy from the south and RUKO board members were shown the densely invaded areas south of Lake Baringo. The leaders recognised the likelihood that RUKO is under severe threat from the invasion and that, if no urgent action is undertaken soon, Prosopis will possibly invade a large part of the conservancy within the next few years. The decision was therefore taken to map Prosopis juliflora on the territory of the conservancy, which has been done by the conservancy rangers and Woody Weeds partners, with the aim to remove the trees. In the near future, tools will be bought and the trees removed.