Segera: The Laikipia Retreat Built Around Rhinos, Reforestation and a Founder's Art Collection

Segera sits at the centre of the Segera Wildlife Conservancy, roughly 200 square kilometres of savannah and acacia woodland in the foothills of Mount Kenya, owned by businessman and philanthropist Jochen Zeitz. What began as Zeitz's private home in Laikipia has grown into a small retreat run alongside the non-profit Zeitz Foundation, built around what the foundation calls its 'Four Cs': conservation, community, culture and commerce, each meant to fund and reinforce the others rather than stand apart.

A conservancy built for wildlife corridors

Laikipia's patchwork of private and community conservancies, of which Segera is one, has become an important corridor for species that need more range than any single reserve can offer, including elephants moving between Mount Kenya and the Samburu lowlands. Segera's own land supports healthy populations of several antelope species, elephant, reticulated giraffe and the endangered Grevy's zebra, alongside resident cheetah and two prides of lion.

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A rhino programme still under way

In 2025, 21 eastern black rhinos were translocated to the conservancy as part of a wider effort to expand the endangered subspecies' range across Kenya, adding to the conservation work already under way on the land. Guests staying at the retreat can typically join guides tracking the conservancy's wildlife, though sightings of any specific animal are never guaranteed.

Reforestation on a large scale

Segera's land management includes a long-running reforestation project aimed at replanting roughly two million trees over time on previously degraded ground, intended to reduce soil erosion and offset some of the conservancy's carbon footprint. The retreat's own buildings and villas were designed to sit lightly within this landscape rather than dominate it, with solar power supplementing the estate's energy needs.

Community programmes woven into daily operations

Beyond the wildlife work, Segera funds a beading cooperative for local women, an anti-poaching academy staffed by women from surrounding communities, and the 'Waterbank' schools built to serve children in the wider Laikipia area. Many of the retreat's staff are drawn from these same communities, and guests are generally offered visits to see the programmes rather than only the wildlife.

An art collection alongside the safari experience

Zeitz is also known for his contemporary African art collection, parts of which are displayed around the property, giving Segera a cultural dimension that is unusual among East African safari lodges built primarily around game drives. The retreat's design leans toward open, art-filled communal spaces rather than a conventional colonial-safari aesthetic.

Traveller tips

• Segera is roughly a 25-minute charter flight from Nairobi's Wilson Airport into Segera's own airstrip; road transfers from Nairobi take considerably longer over rougher terrain.
• Laikipia's dry seasons, from June to October and January to March, generally offer the clearest wildlife viewing, though the conservancy is open year-round.
• Activities typically include game drives, guided walks and visits to the foundation's community projects, usually arranged the evening before with the retreat's guides.
• As with any private conservancy, rates are set independently by the retreat; confirm current pricing and availability directly before booking.