Kyeu, Joshua Valua2025-08-172025-08-172025-04https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/31253A Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment For the Award of a Degree in Master of Science in Tourism Management, School of Business, Economics and Tourism, Kenyatta University, April 2025. Supervisors 1. Edgar Ndubi 2. Jane BitokThe substantial share of tourism revenues on the national kitty cannot be over-emphasized, and it is evidently becoming a star sector in Kenya. Its exponential growth is notable thus the posterity of the industry needs to be assured. Sustainability is becoming a major topic of concern in all industry constituents including the tourism industry. Tourism stakeholders have had to invent strategies to stay afloat bearing in mind community interests, environmental issues and protecting local community’s cultural integrity. In effort to address the effects that tourism brings to a destination, there is a need for tourism practitioners to adopt a holistic approach to mitigate such effects. By virtue of them being custodians of the touristic resources, local communities should have a stake in the management and running of touristic projects and initiatives. Objectives for this study were: to demonstrate the effect of stakeholder networks on STD in the AE; to appraise the effect of community empowerment with the intervening effect of community involvement and commitment on STD in AE; to illustrate the influence of leadership on STD in the AE and examining the intervening effect of community involvement on the relationship between CBIs and STD in the Amboseli Ecosystem. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of community-based initiatives on sustainable tourism development in the Amboseli Ecosystem, Kajiado County. Exploratory Research Design was adopted for this study. Target population comprised three different groups, namely the villagers from the group ranches, lodge/camp managers in selected lodges and eco-lodges, KWS officials and NGOs within the AE. The sample size was 420 composed of 399 community members, 15 lodge managers, 3 Kenya Wildlife Service officials, and 3 Non-Governmental Organizations representatives. A variability degree of 0.05, a precision level of 5% and a confidence level of 95% were assumed. The Researcher used questionnaires and structured interviews to collect quantitative data. Questionnaires were organized on a 5-point Likert scale; and the hypothesis was tested using Pearson and Regression Analysis techniques. Study outcomes were stakeholders’ networks had a positive and significant influence on sustainable tourism development (r=0.246, p=0.000). CE had a positive and significant influence on sustainable tourism development for community members (r=0.182; p=0.000). Leadership had a positive and significant influence on sustainable tourism development for community members (r=0.099; p=0.000), while community participation (IV) had a positive and significant influence on sustainable tourism development (r=-0.135; p=0.000). Regression analysis showed that stakeholders’ networks was the highest followed by community empowerment, leadership and finally community participation (IV). Following are recommendations from the study: Fostering networks among stakeholders in the Amboseli Ecosystem, capacity building for leaders, ecosystem officials, group ranch and NGOs officials on matters of sustainable tourism, enactment of proper legislation and structures to ensure involvement of local communities in tourism initiatives, formation of societies through which local tourism entrepreneurs can have an avenue to collectively channel their opinions and grievances and sell their artefacts to tourists rejuvenation of the AE tourism portfolio to ensure promotion of new tourism initiatives that are inclined towards sustainable tourism.enThesis