Ngong Hills Forest ecosystem has been given a new lease of life following the election of Community Forest Association executive members.
The ecosystem is composed of Ngong Hills forest with about 3,000 hectares, Oloolua about 600 hectares and Kibiku, which is 500 hectares.
The five member executive elected on Thursday comprises Joseph Kirrinkon (chairman), Peris Katito (vice-chairperson), Peter Melonye (secretary), John Sarinke (treasurer) and John Matura (assistant secretary).
Kenya Forest Service CFA coordinator Jocelyn Thambu presided over the elections for the executive committee for Ngong Metro Community Forest Association at the Institute of Primate Research in Oloolua Forest.
Thambu said activities of each forest block should be aligned to each other to ensure success of the umbrella body. She also urged them to fast track formulation of the constitution that will be used in governance of the CFA.
Ngong Sub-county area Assistant County Commissioners, the area chiefs and members of the CFA's management committee witnessed the event.
KFS head of Nairobi Forest Conservancy Francis Kariuki said the three forest blocks are managed by one forester.
“The three forest blocks are also managed by a community forest association Ngong Hills Metro CFA which we work with to manage this blocks,” Kariuki said.
The Nairobi Forest Conservancy covers Nairobi County and Kajiado County where there is a total of 16, 000 hectares of gazetted forest.
Kariuki said they also have community forest areas and private areas that they also manage.
He said with with the elections, they will be able to champion management and conservation of the three forest blocks.
“We want to see a well-conserved forest area,” Kariuki said.
Kariuki said the election of CFA will ensure that community livelihoods are taken to account and that the environment and the ecosystem are protected.
“Ngong hills forest areas are very critical in terms of conservation biodiversity and water catchment areas as there are key sources of rivers. It is very critical in terms of green energy as we have turbines that assist in generation of green energy,” Kariuki said.
Kariuki said there are a lot of visitors to Ngong Hills for ecotourism who throng the area to enjoy nature and panoramic view of Nairobi and surrounding areas.
A lot of people have been visiting Ngong Hills during Covid-19 pandemic.
Kariuki said there has been incidences of dumping within Ololua. This has been contained with arrests having been made, he said.
Kariuki said CFA will be key in curbing illegal activities such as dumping.
“Since the ban on single use plastics was effected June 5, we have ensured visitors do not enter with plastics. We are mopping up any plastic that had been dumped before because we want to have very pristine forest areas that are conducive to visitors,” Kariuki said.
Kariuki said KFS is getting support from partners in placing waste bins and collection of waste.
He cited a youth group called Go Green in Ngong Hills that is assisting them in collecting waste that had been dumped in the forest before.
Kirrinkon said each of the three blocks is unique.
He said people still do not understand in deep what it means being a member of CFA and what they are supposed to do.
“They have conservation in their hearts but they need to understand deeper on how to conserve and how benefit from forests as KFS has given us the opportunity,” he said adding that those elected were educated.
Kirrinkon said the restructuring of CFA has strengthened their work.
“The Ololua block for instance is natural as it has indigenous trees. It can be good place for people to have camping sites, picnic sites and cycling as it not hilly, it is even,” he said.
Kirrinkon said Kibiku block is a mixture of indigenous and exotic trees.
He said camping can be undertaken.
For Ngong road, he said, we have ecotourism, athletics is happening in the three blocks.
Kirrinkon said there are opportunities for big nurseries as opposed to smaller ones currently in place.
Bee keeping can also be undertaken.
Kirrinkon said Kibiku block has a management plan and agreement that needs to be implemented.
“Ololua has quarries and it is high time to be rehabilitated by back filling,” Kirrinkon who will be the Chairman for three years said.
The communities form and register CFAs and develop a Participatory Forest Management Plan that is executed through the signing of a Forest Management Agreement between the Service and the CFA.
Forest laws also allow CFAs with various forest user rights, such as firewood and controlled grazing.
The CFAs are also involved in re-afforestation and rehabilitation programmes, which entail as the establishment of tree nurseries, planting and other silvicultural operations through contractual engagements.
To date, there are 255 registered CFAs across the country, with 163 having approved Participatory Forest Management Plans and 102 signed Forest Management Agreements between KFS and CFA.
