Over 2,500 hectares reclaimed as communities embrace Kaptagat Forest conservation

More than 2,500 hectares of Kaptagat Forest have so far been reclaimed through the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme spearheaded by Treasury PS Dr Chris Kiptoo.

As the programme heads to its 9th edition this weekend, concerted efforts led by Dr Kiptoo and other stakeholders have seen much of the forest that had been destroyed have been restored.

So far, local communities and partner organizations have replanted more than 2 million tree seedlings as part of the reclamation initiative, which has been embraced.

Mzee Daniel Kibet who is a resident of the area says he also fears over existence of the water tower due to continued degradation over the years but now he sees hope.

“I have seen so many trees now planted under this project headed by PS Kiptoo and I am happy that at least the forest will continue to exist for our future generations,” said Mzee Kibet.

Within the past seven years, the programme has spearheaded the restoration activities led by the Ministry of Environment, Climate change and Forestry among other stakeholders and have cumulatively restored much of the areas that had been extensively degraded.

The reclamation is mainly through the planting of assorted indigenous tree seedlings and the distribution of about 3000, 000 high-value avocado seedlings to farmers in both Elgeyo Marakwet and Uasin Gishu Counties.

To discourage locals from fetching firewood, the programme also involves the installation of biogas to homesteads for use in cooking thus reducing the pressure on wood fuel.

The program is aligned with the Presidential clarion call to combat the effects of climate change by growing 15 billion trees on 11 million hectares in every part of Kenya to achieve a tree cover of about 30 percent by 2032.

The programme is anchored on a 5-year programme (2024 – 2029) to improve community livelihoods and secure the Kaptagat Ecosystem and community user rights through raft of interventions that includes livestock upgrading, water provision, high value crops and green energy provision.

Members of the local community have expressed optimism over the programme terming it a sure bet in restoring the degraded forest and also have improved their livelihoods through the introduction of avocado farming away from the conventional cereal farming the region is known for.

Kaptagat Community Forest Association (CFA) Vincent Chelimo says the restoration has been achieved through a meticulous forest management plan that brings together state and private sector under the Patronage of Dr. Kiptoo who has been passionate on environmental conservation.

He says through the local community has wholly embraced the conservation plan through sensitization activities also spearheaded by Dr Kiptoo.

Chelimo says the benefits of the conservation plan will be far reaching with positive impacts especially for the local community.

“The community is marshalled to join CFAs to enjoy user rights that incudes tilling the forest land as they nurture tree seedlings, distribution of avocado seedlings and installation of biogas. It is worth to note that in less than a decade the forest that was a shell of former self is now restored,” he stated.

He said ownership of the activities by the local community is the surest way to ensure sustainability.

“We were born and bred here and as young men, we would graze in the forest. After the lands went bare, we would encroach on the forest for more and ended up destroying it for decades.”

He said that through the Plantation Establishment Livelihood Investment Scheme (PELIS) where local plant food crops on the selected areas in the forests, there has been rapid growth of trees when compared to uncultivated areas.

“Each year we have been planting over 300,000 indigenous trees with a success rate of 95 percent. The effect of this is that we have since seen rivers that were hitherto dry now flowing back to live an indicator the biodiversity in the forest is thriving in the forest,” he said.

On the other part Sabor CFA secretary Francis Kangogo said the programme is projected to install 28, 000 households with biogas that would go a long way in cutting down the reliance of wood fuel from the forest.

“All communities surrounding the forest have been earmarked to benefit and biogas installation which will completely alleviate wood fuel. Only if the community around the forest is benefiting directly and generally economically is conservation able to succeed. This is well though strategy for winning environmental conservation and economic development,” he said.

Kangaroo said millions of shillings have since been injected into the Kaptagat landscape economy between 2017 and 2024through tree seedlings procurement and supporting the establishment of nurseries owned by the CFAs, women youth, and persons with disabilities.

Salina Cheruto, a resident of Kabukto village, Uasin GishuCounty who was relying on the forest for livelihood but embraced avocado farming is now reaping the benefits from the sale of the fruits.

“I embraced avocado farming in 2019 and I am excited that I earn over Sh20,000 every month from the sale of the fruits. Initially, we relied entirely on the forest to eke out our living but it was unsustainable and detrimental to environmental conservation. We applaud the programme because we have seen the forest restored and our livelihoods improved,” she said.

She said the surrounding households have now diversified into coffee, tea, macadamia and pyrethrum farming as a livelihood scheme in turn easing the pressure exerted on the forest courtesy of the programme.

Another local Truphena Chepseba who was installed with a biogas in 2022 and since then she has never stepped foot in the forest in search of firewood.

“The biogas has effectively cut the numerous trips to the forest over the years in search of firewood to zero. If locals get an alternative source of fuel, no one will step in forest looking for firewood thus help in conservation of the forest because majority of the villagers rely on wood fuel,” she explained.

After generating biogas, she adds, she uses slurry as manure to enrich her vegetable garden thus becoming a vegetable seller in turn supplementing her household income.

Through the initiative the government has planned to implement more initiatives that will sustain conservation of the forest.

“We are involving the community at all levels so that they can be part of the project and own it because that is also a sure way to ensure sustainability,” said Dr Kiptoo.