•The Ogieks on May 26, 2017, won a historic case against the government at the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights in Arusha
•Kenya Water Towers Agency says it needs to be convinced that the community can conserve the Mau forest
Image: REUTERS
The Ogiek Community have been challenged to prove that they will protect Mau water catchment areas if allowed to settle in them.
The Kenya Water Towers Agency is yet to be convinced that the community will protect the critical water towers, director general Julius Tanui said on Saturday.
"We all know that things have changed. They need to convince us that they have not changed. In this era and time, are they still doing things the way they used to?" Tanui asked.
On May 26, 2017, the Ogiek won in a major court battle after the government was found to have violated seven separate articles of the African Charter in a land rights case dating back to colonial times.
The historic judgment was made by the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights in Arusha, Tanzania.
The government was compelled to form a task force on the implementation of the decision of the court.
The task force is collecting Kenyans' views.
Tanui said they do not want a situation where the Ogieks are allowed to settle in the critical water catchment and thereafter engage in forest encroachment and destruction.
"We as Water Towers have identified and recognised them. We even have their register which we have provided to UNEP to identify who are the true Ogiek," Tanui said at Ruiru dam on Saturday during a tree planting drive presided over by the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.
"We are yet to be convinced and we want to believe that they will remain part and parcel of those who conserve the forest."
Tanui said it is up to the Ogieks to prove to the agency that they can maintain and protect water towers using their indigenous knowledge.
"Kenya is a water-scarce country. If we do not conserve our towers, we will have serious problems."
Kenya has five major water towers – the Mau Forest Complex, Mount Kenya, the Aberdares, the Cherangani Hills and Mt. Elgon.
Tanui said other towers have 18 gazetted water towers.
"We have an extra 70 water towers to be gazetted all over the country, that is a budget of Sh350 million alone," he said. In total, the agency requires about Sh1 billion in the next financial year.
The massive encroachment on the towers has resulted in water shortages and droughts. "We do not want to be in a situation like the one in Cape Town, South Africa," he said in reference to the water shortage that has of late been experienced in the South African commercial capital.
"To avoid encroachment, maybe we need to address the element of securing through fencing."
Mount Kenya forest burned for almost two weeks just before the onset of rains two months ago.
"It was a dry spell, but who started the fire? It is people engaged in some activities in the forest. If we had fenced and used technologies like drones to overfly those areas, we would have identified illegal activities in the forest," Tanui said.
The director said eucalyptus trees should be uprooted from water towers as they are major water guzzler.
He said the moratorium on logging had improved water levels.
Over 10,000 bamboo trees were planted around the dam that supplies Nairobi with water.
Kenya Forest Service Chief conservator of forests Julius Kamau commended the private sector for taking an active role in tree planting.
"We are happy that the private sector has realised there is a need for us all to come together and increase tree cover," Kamau said.
Kamau noted deforestation started in earnest from 1990. However, tree cover has increased since the 2005 legislative measures.
He identified human settlement as the biggest challenge as most of the forests are surrounded by vulnerable communities who derive their livelihood from forests.
"Communities around the forests must, therefore, be engaged. Community forest associations come together and become our partners," he said.
The KFS and communities have developed a participatory forests management plan, he added.
Kamau disclosed the President had asked ministries, departments and government agencies to contribute 10 per cent of their corporate social responsibility to tree planting.
"KFS cannot do it alone; it requires every person in this country. The strategy brings all stakeholders together."
Kenya needs to plant and protect 1.8 billion seedlings between now and 2022 to achieve 10 per cent tree cover.