Embobut Forest

Embobut Forest

| File | Nation Media Group

Hope for Sh3bn Embobut Forest project as residents to be resettled

A Sh3 billion project to rehabilitate Embobut Forest is all set to resume after the government agreed to resettle the Sengwer community.

The project is funded by the European Union (EU).

The Ministry of Lands has offered to resolve a long-standing feud between the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and members of the Sengwer community.

Members of the minority community were evicted from the forest in Elgeyo Marakwet County to pave the way for the implementation of the project in the Mt Elgon and Cherangani Hills water towers.

The community was opposed to the implementation of the US$31 million (approximately Sh3.1 billion) Water Towers Protection and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (WaTER) project by the EU and the government, arguing that it interferes with their ancestral land.

Forest dwellers

The Sengwer, who occupy part of Cherangani Hills, are among the few remaining forest-dwelling people, but their way of life is threatened by degradation of forests.

The community moved to the East African Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania, which ruled in their favour.

The court called on the government of Kenya to stop evicting members of the community and instead settle them in the forest.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney has promised to look into the issue as soon as possible with a view to resolving it.

The CS participated in a tree-planting exercise at Kakimiti in Embobut Forest last weekend.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney.

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

Resolve dispute

Ms Karoney, who was accompanied by other senior officials including Environment Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo, committed to work towards resolving the dispute even if it means partially implementing what the community and the government will agree upon as per the guidelines and development plans of the government.

The community had petitioned the government to suspend the implementation of the project and put on hold their eviction from Embobut Forest, which they consider their ancestral home.

“We ask the government to recognise our rights as forest dwellers and channel the funds to support conservation measures instead of resorting to evictions,” Mr David Kiptum Yator, a community member, said.

The EU allocated funds for the WaTER project until 2020 as a win-win for the environment and the local communities but the Sengwer community has dismissed it as a scheme to evict them from their ancestral land.

“The Ministry of Environment and the KFS should immediately halt eviction of our people from the forest and withdraw armed personnel from the region,” said Ms Milka Chepkorir.

Conservation station burnt

Suspected bandits early last year burnt a KFS conservation station neighbouring Embobut Forest, which is part of the Cherangani water tower.

The 12 KFS officers manning the station escaped unhurt during the protracted attack over the illegal occupation of the forest.

According to Ms Karoney, the government is committed to resolving conflicts among communities in the forests to support rehabilitation efforts.

The CS said the Lands and Environment ministries had come up with a memorandum of understanding that had been presented to the Cabinet.

“We have many Kenyans living in the forested land and we cannot degazette forests without Cabinet approval. We have presented an MoU to the Cabinet and we are optimistic that it will be approved,” said the CS.

She said the government is keen on environmental conservation and the protection of citizens.

“The government has plans to resettle the community. But what we want is to strike a balance between protecting the forest and upholding the rights of the local community,” said the CS when she met the community.

Hopes for project

This raises hope that the EU-funded rehabilitation project will resume.

The EU suspended the project in 2018 after the Sengwer community protested over alleged inhumane evictions by the KFS.

The community wrote to the EU to protest over the alleged killing of two members during the evictions.

Residents led by lawmaker Kangogo Bowen had appealed to the minister to intervene.

“We have lost many lives among those living in the forest. We want to find an amicable solution to this matter,” said the Marakwet East MP.

Last November, Environment and Natural Resources CS Keriako Tobiko said a task force formed to look into the issues leading to the suspension of the Sh3.6 billion EU-funded rehabilitation project had completed its work, raising hope over the implementation of the delayed project.

“The task force that was formed by the Cabinet to relook into the suspended EU project has completed its work. It is important for us to look for solutions,” noted the CS.

According to government figures, deforestation costs the country Sh5.8 billion annually, which amounts to about two per cent of the gross domestic product.

And forestry resources contribute about three per cent to the economy.

The five-year programme was to involve 11 counties in the North Rift and Western Kenya namely Kisumu, Nandi, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Vihiga, West Pokot, Siaya, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu.

Endangered ecosystems

Kenya Forest Research Institute, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Water Tower Agency, KFS and the Climate Change Secretariat under the Ministry of Environment were expected to work together towards rehabilitation of endangered ecosystems.

Former Environment and Natural Resources Cabinet Secretary Judi Wakhungu, while launching the project in 2017, said the government expected to rehabilitate more than 5.2 million hectares of degraded forest landscapes in the country as part of the national challenge under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“Areas that require rehabilitation efforts have been identified. Water towers are under threat of human activities and the ministry is committed to achieve 10 per cent forest cover in line with the Constitution and vision 2030,” Prof Wakhungu said at the official launch of the EU-funded water programme in Eldoret back then.