Mpala Research Centre is one of the world’s premier field-based research centers, located on 48,000 acres in Laikipia County, Kenya. Established as a Kenyan–U.S. partnership, Mpala was created to advance scientific research, conservation, and education in one of the most ecologically important landscapes in Africa. Today, Mpala supports research and training across conservation, climate change, biodiversity, ecology, genomics, agriculture, public health, and human-wildlife interactions, hosting scholars and students from more than 65 institutions around the world.
Mpala’s story is closely tied to Kenya’s history and the history of Laikipia. The land on which Mpala sits was taken from local communities and allocated to British settlers during the colonial era. Mpala recognizes this history and the responsibility that comes with stewarding this landscape today.
The property was acquired by George Small in the mid-20th century and later inherited by his brother, Sam Small, in 1969. In 1989, Sam Small established Mpala as a wildlife sanctuary with a vision of protecting the region’s biodiversity while creating opportunities for scientific discovery and learning.
That vision expanded in 1994 with the establishment of Mpala Research Centre as a formal Kenyan–U.S. collaboration. The founding institutional partners were the Kenya Wildlife Service, the National Museums of Kenya, the Smithsonian Institution, and Princeton University. In 2023, the Wildlife Research and Training Institute of Kenya joined as a fifth anchor institution, further strengthening Mpala’s commitment to Kenyan-led research, training, and conservation.
Collaboration remains at the heart of Mpala’s mission. Through its anchor institutions and an international network of researchers, educators, students, and community partners, Mpala has become a globally recognized hub for field-based research and teaching. The Centre is home to substantial scientific infrastructure, including one of the few field-based genomics laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa.
