Segera, Mugie, Sosian and Ol Jogi: Laikipia’s Quieter Conservancies

Entice Africa October 28, 2026Destinations, Experiences & East Africa Travel

Segera, Mugie, Sosian and Ol Jogi are four private conservancies on the Laikipia plateau, each between about 24,000 and 58,000 acres, with a single lodge or retreat on most of them (Mugie has two). They suit travellers who want a small, private base rather than a busy lodge circuit. This guide covers these four plus four more, and it sits alongside our complete guide to Laikipia’s conservancies.

Below you will find what each place is known for, where you stay and who it suits, followed by a comparison table. If you are planning a longer route through the north of Kenya, our 9 Days Untamed Safari to the Hidden Northern Kenya Circuit (from USD 7,840 per person) is one place to start. Prices depend on season, group size and lodge choice.

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At a glance

Segera, Mugie, Sosian and Ol Jogi

Segera: rhinos, design and wellness

Segera covers about 50,000 acres between Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley, and the ZEITZ Foundation lists elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, reticulated giraffe, Lelwel hartebeest and Grevy’s zebra. A rhino sanctuary of about 22,000 acres sits inside it. In May 2025, 21 eastern black rhinos were moved here from Ol Pejeta, according to Capital FM.

You stay at Segera Retreat, which offers garden villas and larger houses, including a family villa and Villa Segera. Its experience list leans towards massage, meditation, stargazing, fishing, community visits and sleeping under the stars, so ask what is on offer if you want walking or riding. Segera calls its approach regenerative luxury. It suits couples and families who want design-led comfort and a rhino story.

Mugie: two properties and a northern corridor

Mugie lies in north-west Laikipia and covers about 50,000 acres by one travel company’s figure, or 186 square kilometres by Expert Africa’s. It is described as a corridor for wildlife moving between west Laikipia and the Mount Kenya highlands. Only two properties operate here. Governors’ Mugie House has eight stone cottages, shared game drives, a spa, an infinity pool and a nine-hole golf course, and its drives look for Grevy’s zebra and Jackson’s hartebeest. Ekorian’s Mugie Camp is a family-friendly camp in remote north-west Laikipia. Choose the house for comfort and rest days, and the camp if you are travelling with children.

Sosian: a working ranch with riding and walking

Sosian is a working beef and dairy ranch of 24,000 acres in north-west Laikipia, with Mount Kenya as a backdrop. It has one exclusive lodge, a restored ranch house with private cottages. Its own site lists game drives, walks and rides lasting from a couple of hours to a few days, with fly camping or lodge stays, and waterfall jumping. Several lion prides live here, alongside Jackson’s hartebeest, Grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe, and Expert Africa notes semi-resident wild dogs. The transfer from Nanyuki is about two hours by road. It suits active travellers who want to ride or walk as well as drive.

Ol Jogi: a long rhino record and exclusive use

Ol Jogi is privately owned and covers 234 square kilometres by Save the Rhino’s figure (a lodge listing says about 58,000 acres). It became the second private rhino sanctuary in Kenya in 1980 and grew to take in the whole conservancy in 2005. Eastern black and southern white rhinos live here. Save the Rhino reports no rhino lost to poachers from 1980 to 2012 and none killed by poachers since 2015. In March 2026 the Kenya Wildlife Service provisionally registered Ol Jogi as a conservancy, with a report citing more than 140 rhinos.

Ol Jogi House has 13 suites plus the Simba and Mgobo family cottages, and exclusive use of the whole lodge and conservancy is possible. Activities include horse riding, walking safaris, game drives, cultural visits and walking with rescued elephants. Children under 12 are welcome, and the nearest airport is Nanyuki. It suits private groups and families who want the place to themselves.

Four more Laikipia-area stays

Suyian: a new lodge on a trust-run conservancy

Suyian is 44,000 acres of former cattle ranch in north-west Laikipia, owned by the Suyian Conservancy Trust, a Kenyan not-for-profit, and overseen by Space for Giants. andBeyond holds the sole tourism concession and opened andBeyond Suyian Lodge in July 2025, with 14 suites, one for families, and plunge pools. Listed activities include walking with herders, horseback rides, night drives, helicopter excursions and community visits. Wildlife includes Grevy’s zebra, Laikipia hartebeest, reticulated giraffe, African wild dog, black leopards, elephants and lions. It suits travellers who want a recently opened lodge and a varied activity list.

Ol Malo: camels, horses and Samburu guides

Ol Malo describes itself as in the heart of Samburuland in northern Kenya, on unfenced land at the northern edge of Laikipia. Listings place it variously in Samburuland and Laikipia County, so confirm the route when you plan. You can stay in a lodge of four boutique rooms, the three-room Main House, Crocodile Cottage, Hippo Cottage (for families), Leopard Hide or The Treehouse, or join the mobile Ol Malo Nomad camp. Activities include camels, horse riding, bush walks, Samburu warrior-led hikes up the Three Peaks, helicopter excursions and camping. It has a private airstrip, and the Samburu Trust, founded by Julia Francombe, runs a clinic and a school. It suits travellers who want animals and local guides at the centre of the trip.

Solio: Africa’s first private rhino sanctuary

Solio sits on former Laikipia-plateau ranch land 22 km north of Nyeri. Courtland Parfet founded it in 1970, and Expert Africa calls it the first private rhino sanctuary in Africa. Size is given as about 7,100 hectares (17,500 acres) by Wikipedia and about 180 square kilometres by Expert Africa. Its first five rhinos came from Kiboko in 1970, and Solio rhinos have since restocked Nakuru National Park, Sweetwaters, Lewa Downs and Ol Jogi. Expert Africa puts the population at more than 200 black and white rhinos, though public counts can be out of date. Solio Lodge, an exclusive bush lodge, is the only accommodation inside. It suits travellers whose priority is rhinos.

El Karama: a simple stay on the Ewaso Nyiro

El Karama is a 56 square kilometre private conservancy and working ranch on the Ewaso Nyiro river. El Karama Lodge is a small, rustic riverside eco-lodge about an hour from Nanyuki airport, with river swimming, fishing and tubing when water levels allow. It suits travellers who want a simple, personal base on the river. Its old web address now redirects to a for-sale page and we found no official site in October 2026, so confirm that the lodge is operating before you plan around it.

Comparing the eight

Sizes below are as reported by the sources named above. They use different units and often disagree, so treat them as approximate.

Planning a stay

• Pick one or two. Each of these is a place to stay several nights, not a day trip. Our guide to where to stay in Laikipia lists lodges and camps by conservancy.
• Match the activity to the place. Walking, riding and camel time are on offer at some conservancies and not others, so see our guide to things to do in Laikipia before you choose.
• Expect no certainty on sightings. Rhinos and wild dogs are present, but wildlife moves freely and no drive can promise a particular animal.
• Ask about costs early. We have not quoted lodge rates or conservancy fees here because they change with season. Your itemised quote shows what is included.

Frequently asked questions

What is a private conservancy in Laikipia?

It is land set aside for wildlife and run by a family, company or trust rather than the government. Many are also working ranches: Sosian raises beef and dairy cattle, and Suyian was a cattle ranch before it became a conservancy. Ol Jogi was provisionally registered as a conservancy with the Kenya Wildlife Service in March 2026.

Where can I see rhinos on these conservancies?

Segera, Ol Jogi and Solio all run rhino sanctuaries. Segera received 21 eastern black rhinos in May 2025, Ol Jogi holds eastern black and southern white rhinos, and Expert Africa puts Solio at more than 200 black and white rhinos. A sighting on any given drive is never certain.

Which conservancy is best for wild dogs?

Sosian is known for semi-resident wild dogs, according to Expert Africa, and African wild dog is on Suyian’s wildlife list. Wild dogs cover large areas, so ask us what the lodges are currently reporting before you choose.

How do I get to these conservancies?

Nanyuki is the nearest town or airport for three of them. Ol Jogi’s nearest airport is Nanyuki, Sosian is about two hours from Nanyuki by road, and El Karama Lodge is about an hour from Nanyuki airport. Ol Malo has a private airstrip. We confirm the transfers for the stay you choose.

Can I walk, ride or take a night drive?

At several, yes. Sosian offers walking and riding, Ol Jogi lists horse riding and walking safaris, Suyian lists walks with herders, horseback rides and night drives, and Ol Malo lists camels, horse riding and bush walks. Segera’s experience page lists wellness, stargazing and community visits instead.

Are these places suitable for children?

Several take families. Ol Jogi welcomes children under 12, Ekorian’s Mugie Camp is described as family-friendly, Suyian has a family suite, Ol Malo has Hippo Cottage for families and Segera has a family villa. Check each lodge’s age policy when you book.

How much does a trip to northern Kenya cost?

Lodge rates change with season, so we have not listed them. Our 7 Day Untamed Skies Safari starts from USD 3,700 per person, depending on season, group size and lodge choice. Send us your dates for an itemised quote.