A Kenyan Samburu man on Wednesday became the first African to bag the prestigious Stanford University's Bright Award in California, USA.
43-year-old Tom Lalampaa bagged the $100,000 (approximately Sh10 million) in honour of the commitment and sacrifice he has dedicated towards conserving the environment.
Lalampaa has been working in northern Kenya, where his key focus has been to end inter-community conflict and promote peace in the region.
Speaking prior to the Wednesday award-giving event, Lalampaa who hails from a pastoralist Samburu family gave the prize credits to the community which he said had owned and supported the efforts to see Kenya emerge best among other contenders.
"I must give the credit to the people I work with in northern Kenya," he said.
"That this award came to Kenya above all the other contenders for this prize, and specifically that it recognises the success of the work we are doing with the communities of northern Kenya, that is really special to me.
"Kenya is on a really good path in conservation, I have to say. I hope that hearing about what we are doing here can be an inspiration to new conservation leaders across Africa," he added.
The Bright Award is an annual initiative of the Stanford Law School, (Stanford University, California) where individuals are awarded for their distinguished efforts in conserving the various ecosystems in their areas.