Yiaku Laikipiak Trust (YLT) was founded in the year 2000 and officially registered in the year 2003 as a Self Help Group under the Societies Act of Kenya, in 2009 it upgraded to a Community Trust. Yiaku Laikipiak Trust was formed from the necessity of exposing and addressing the need for recognition and assistance on ensuring survival of the Yiaku indigenous peoples and local communities’ culture and habitat.
Since inception, YLT’s long-term priority is the revival of Yiaku language, Protection of Mukogodo Forest, Indigenous Knowledge and livelihood support for the Yiaku people.
The Yiaku People are a Cushitic tribe that migrated from Ethiopia in the 14th Century and settled in Mukogodo Forest in Laikipia North District in Kenya. They are a minority indigenous community with a population of about 6,000 people.
The Yiaku have maintained their culture, bushmeat hunting is illegal and the Yiaku seized hunting but remained with herding and gathering.
The Yiaku have lived in harmony with the Forest time immemorial since their traditional practices do not encourage logging and the building of permanent shelters in the Forest. They have sacred sites and ancestral graves and derive honey, wild fruits and vegetable from the Forest for a living.

The Yiaku are a minority indigenous community traditionally known as hunter-gatherers and forest dwellers who live in and around Mukogodo Forest. Over the years, they adopted aspects of the Maasai culture, including language and attire, but they have preserved a unique identity defined by their endangered Yiaku language, traditional ecological knowledge, and spiritual connection to the forest.

The Trust is headquartered in Nanyuki town, at the Liberty House, Laikipia Road, in Laikipia East Sub-County, Laikipia County- Kenya. Ease contact https://yiakulaikipiaktrust.org/contact  

The Trust leads and coordinates efforts in the following areas:
– Yiaku language revival
– Environmental conservation and forest protection
– Community education and capacity building
– Cultural documentation and promotion
– Sustainable livelihoods and youth empowerment

The Yiaku language is critically endangered, with only a few fluent speakers remaining, mostly elderly. Due to colonial-era policies, cultural assimilation, and formal education systems that excluded indigenous languages, younger generations began speaking  Maa or Swahili and sometimes sambur. Without immediate intervention, the language was at risk of extinction.

The Trust is implementing several strategic actions including;
– Mobile App Development: A digital Yiaku dictionary and learning app
– Community Classes: Language classes at the Yiaku Integrated Center
– Online Learning: Courses and materials online at our website https://yiakulaikipiaktrust.org/yiakunte-online
– Language Documentation: Recording oral histories and vocabulary
– Intergenerational Dialogue: Youth learn from elders

Yes! The Trust welcomes visitors, researchers, and well-wishers interested in learning about indigenous languages and cultures. Language sessions, cultural exchange programs, and guided visits to the forest are offered under respectful, community-led arrangements.

Mukogodo Forest is one of the last remaining dry forests in Kenya, home to rare species of plants, birds, and animals. It is vital for water catchment, climate regulation, and biodiversity conservation. For the Yiaku, the forest is sacred, sustaining their traditional medicine, honey harvesting, and spiritual life.

Yiaku Laikipiak Trust empowers the community to continue traditional forest stewardship through:
– Sensitization on sustainable resource use
– Reforestation and indigenous tree planting
– Youth conservation training
– Policy advocacy to uphold indigenous land rights

Yes. Like many ecosystems, Mukogodo faces threats from:
– Illegal logging
– Overgrazing and invasive species
– Climate change
– Land encroachment and poor governance

The Trust runs:
– Youth mentorship and leadership programs
– Women’s empowerment through income-generating activities
– Education support, scholarships, and training
– Cultural revival activities
– Advocacy and legal support for land rights

Yiaku Laikipiak Trust is supported through:
– Grants from international and local organizations
– Collaborative conservation and cultural projects

Absolutely! You can:
– Donate to support education, conservation, or language revival
– Volunteer your time or skills
– Partner on research, cultural projects, or eco-tourism
– Spread the word and advocate for indigenous rights

We would love to hear from you!
Email: yiakugroup@gmail.com
Phone: +254 720 121850
Website: www.yiakulaikipiaktrust.org

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