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Background Land use land cover change (LULCC) is a global threat to biodiversity conservation. Endemic species such as Kihansi spray toads (KST) are prone to extinction due to LULCC. This study assessed the LULCC of the Kihansi catchment (KC), a potential habitat for the KST and adjacent areas. Remote sensing (RS), geographical information system (GIS) and 156 questionnaires administered to three surrounding villages namely: Mgugwe, Udagaji and Ukami were used to assess the LULCC forms in the study area. Landsat imagery and ground truthing, were used to classify and monitor LULCC for 25 years from 1995 to 2020. Results Settlements and agricultural land increased by 26.23% and 3.7% respectively. On the other hand, forested land decreased by a rate of 10-20% per year. Across respondents a significant increase (p = 0.041) of the population was reported which contributed to settlement expansion. LULC of KC and adjacent areas were observed to change over the years that anticipate threatening the reintroduced KST and its habitat. Conclusions This study provides baseline information for land use planning in KC and adjacent areas that consider the sustainable conservation of re-introduced KST while improving the livelihood of the adjacent local communities.

Land‐use and land‐cover changes (LULCC) are a global threat to biodiversity conservation including endemic species such as Kihansi spray toads (KST). This study assessed the LULCC of the Kihansi catchment (KC), a potential habitat for the KST and its adjacent areas. Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) through Landsat imagery and ground truthing were used to classify and monitor LULCC for 25 years, from 1995 to 2020. In addition, the questionnaire survey assesses the opinion of local communities on LULCC forms in the study area. Settlements and agricultural land increased by 26.23% and 3.7%, respectively, while forested land decreased by a rate of 10%–20% per year due to the human population increase. According to this study, land use has changed substantially because of agriculture and habitation. Proper land‐use planning is required in this scenario to ensure the long‐term protection of the reintroduced KST while also enhancing the livelihoods of nearby residents.