The government has unveiled a Sh10 billion plan to restore the heavily degraded Mount Elgon ecosystem under a 10-year programme that seeks to rehabilitate more than 103,000 hectares of forest and farmland.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said the water tower holds immense significance, not only to Kenya but also to the region.
In 2023, Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere International Coordinating Council designated Mount Elgon as a Transboundary Biosphere Reserve—the second of its kind in Africa.
Barasa warned that continued degradation could lead to the loss of that prestigious status, adding that the cost of environmental destruction is too high to bear.
The ministry has designated November 7 as Mt Elgon Day to rally stakeholders, partners, conservationists, and local communities towards protecting the vital ecosystem.
Mining Principal Secretary Harris Kimtai, who hails from the area, has been appointed as the patron and champion for the restoration efforts.
Speaking during a media breakfast at KICC attended by PSs Gitonga Mugambi (Forestry), Festus Ng’eno (Environment and Climate Change), and Kimtai, Barasa said the initiative will promote collaboration, partnerships, and sustainable livelihoods through green jobs, agricultural value chains, research and conservation awareness.
“It will also promote innovation, support sports and talent development among the youth, and preserve our culture and heritage,” she said.
The restoration aligns with the presidential directive to grow 15 billion trees by 2032, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and the National Climate Change Action Plan.
The Mount Elgon landscape covers 172,095 hectares, with an estimated annual economic value of Sh115 billion. It hosts endangered species such as the Mt Elgon Chameleon, the iconic Kitum Caves and the giant lobelia plant. The area also holds cultural significance as the site of the Kapkugo festival.
Barasa said the 2025–35 programme aims to restore 35,000 hectares of degraded forest blocks and 68,000 hectares of adjacent farmlands by growing at least 10 million trees annually.
The programme also seeks to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen conservation governance between Kenya and Uganda and expand farm forestry to reduce poverty and create employment.
PS Kimtai said he was personally committed to ensuring the restoration succeeds, noting that the ecosystem has long supported local communities.
Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Forestry Research Institute have pledged full support for the initiative. KFS is already implementing the Mt Elgon Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Scheme — a five-year, Sh850 million project funded by the Global Environment Facility through Food Agricultural Organisation.
The project targets rehabilitation of 7,000 hectares of degraded forest and involves Community Forest Associations in producing more than eight million seedlings. It will also promote climate-smart farming and tree-growing initiatives to enhance sustainable livelihoods in Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties.
Barasa said the goal is clear:
“Mount Elgon will rise again — green, vibrant and full of life.”
