Pact has been working in Kenya since 1998 when USAID awarded Pact the Institutional Strengthening and Grant Management (ISGM) contract to support NGO's working in the Greater Horn of Africa Region. ISGM supported regional NGOs in the advancement of food security and conflict management in ten East African countries. ISGM provided assistance to over 900 African organizations to improve service delivery in food security and conflict management as well as to improve their institutional capacity to function as effective organizations.

In 1999 Pact began work on the Conservation of Resources through Enterprise (CORE) program. This six-year program sought to improve the management of Kenya's renowned biodiversity by supporting communities around Kenya's national parks to better plan for and benefit sustainably from the use of critical natural resources.

The program resulted in the improved functioning of 15 community based organizations representing and benefiting over 100,000 Kenyans. These organizations run 23 conservation based enterprises, provide over 450 jobs and ensure the conservation of 150,000 hectares of wild lands.

These two projects were implemented by a dedicated and extremely competent Kenyan staff, who, in 2002, created a local NGO with Pact's help and encouragement. The NGO, known as Pact Kenya, is a completely independent entity registered as a Kenyan NGO focusing on civil society capacity building, natural resource management, and grant administration.

Since Pact Kenya's inception, Pact and Pact Kenya have worked together to successfully finish up the CORE program as well as implement the Kenya Coastal Management Initiative (supporting improved conservation and development of coastal and marine resources) and the Kenyan Civil Society Strengthening Program (KCSSP). KCSSP works to build the capacity and support the efforts of Kenya's CSO's. The program focuses on support to broader democracy and governance-focused CSO's as well as environment and wildlife-focused groups at national and regional levels.

Kenya's importance as a regional economic and transportation hub combined with the capacities of the Pact Kenya team made it the obvious choice to host Pact's Africa Regional Support Office. The African Regional Support Office provides backstopping to all our African country programs in administration, finance and technical capacities.