Tea production firm James Finlay has partnered with the local community to rehabilitate parts of the Mau Forest in Kericho and Bomet counties.
On Saturday, they planted 3,000 trees known for their water-conserving power in potential water sources. The partnership comes in the wake of unchecked dilapidation of indigenous Mau West Forest cover, which has been the source of rains that sustain multinational tea firms and smallholder farmers.
Corporate affairs general manager Sammy Kirui told the community to ensure trees planted in water sources are protected by erecting barbed-wire perimeter fence to keep at bay livestock and human beings. He was accompanied by James Finlay managing director Simon Hutchinson during a tree-planting drive in Ainomoi constituency.
Hutchinson called for concerted efforts from conservationists to take a leading role in rehabilitating and conservation of the Mau West water tower.
The MD said had the tower been on consistent checks, the ongoing drought that has threatened potential water springs would have been thwarted.
Hutchinson and Kirui made the remarks after planting 3,000 indigenous tree seedlings around the drying Chepnyonyoi Water Springs at Kapkugerwet village in Kericho.
The firm donated the indigenous seedlings to conservation patron Samuel Rugut.
Hutchinson advised stakeholders in environmental conservation to ensure dilapidated parts of Mau water tower are rehabilitated first before coming down to water springs that are fed by the tower.
He said the firm heavily relies on rains from Mau for tea farming.
“It’s a collective responsibility where all those concerned including James Finlay have to bring their heads together and come with ideas on how to sustain Mau through regular rehabilitation of dilapidated areas.”
Kirui called on residents ensure no tree seedling dies from drought, destruction by children or livestock.
Patron Rugut appealed to James Finlay's to provide them with barbed wire for fencing.
The one-time Kericho mayor and an employee of the company said for decades, Kericho residents had never queued for water as witnessed in the last two months due to prolonged drought.
“This is a big lesson to all of us that we must take environmental conservation seriously. Let's plant trees in Mau and in our farms so that our rain patterns don’t change,” Rugut said.
Edited by R.Wamochie
