• The forest once covered the East and Central Africa region. It now occupies 200 square kilometres.
• There are more than 380 species of trees, 330 species of birds, 27 species of snakes, primates, more than 400 species of butterflies and mammals.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
National government departments have been frustrating efforts to fence the Kakamega Forest, Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has said.
The project was initiated by the Kakamega government in collaboration with the national government.
Oparanya said his administration has set aside the required amount, but state departments have frustrated efforts to implement the project. The county government had set aside Sh100 million for the 117km project.
The total amount required for the project was Sh336.9 million.
He said the initiative was meant to conserve the remnants of the equatorial rainforest and use it as a tourist attraction facility to develop the western tourism circuit.
The forest once covered the East and Central Africa region. It now occupies 200 square kilometres.
There are more than 380 species of trees, 330 species of birds, 27 species of snakes, primates, more than 400 species of butterflies and mammals.
"We started the project, engaged all the concerned ministries in the national government, but they went silent. It is important that we revive the project," Oparanya said.
“I had gone as far as meeting governors in the Democratic Republic of Congo and sealed a deal where they were to transfer some gorillas to the forest after fencing, but it never was to be.”
The governor made the remarks on Tuesday after meeting a team of senior officers from the Ministry of Lands and the Kenya Forest Service at Bukura ATC where he was holding a public participation meeting.
The team was touring Kakamega and Vihiga counties to discuss with governors plans they have to settle families living on forest land.
Deputy Governor Philip Kutima, county secretary and head of public service James Ochami, finance and economic planning executive Beatrice Sabana and chief of staff Isaac Omungo attended the event.
Meanwhile, Oparanya has asked the government to settle and issue title deeds to families living as squatters in Turbo forest and Mumias.
Oparanya said the families have unsuccessfully been trying for many years to secure title deeds for their land in vain.
"The families in Turbo have been living as squatters on 1,000 acres for many years because they don't have title deeds. I have tried to help them get the documents but I have not succeeded," he said.
The governor said the case is the same for families in Mumias, adding that it was unfair for the national government to subject them to such suffering.
The team assured the governor that the issues he raised would be addressed.
Edited by A.N