By Anderson Ojwang and GPU
In a move aimed at restoring and conserving the degraded Mt Elgon Forest, stakeholders have embarked on an ambitious program to plant 50 million trees.
In a recent stakeholders consultative meeting in Bungoma, ominously agreed to protect and conserve the forest and contain human activities that degrade the facility.
Subsequently, several stakeholders have come together to ensure the degraded Mt Elgon Forest is conserved to its former glory.
At the consultative stakeholders meeting, the County Conservator Eric Abung’u said concerted efforts have been placed to conserve Mt Elgon Forest one of the five water towers in the country.
The Country’s water towers include Mt. Kenya, Aberdare Ranges, Mau Forest Complex, Cherangani Hills, and Mt. Elgon.
Mt. Elgon, a crucial water tower for Kenya and Uganda, is facing significant threats, including deforestation, over-extraction of groundwater, and climate change, impacting the water supply and local livelihoods.
Mt. Elgon is a vital water tower, supplying major rivers like Nzoia, Turkwel, and Malakisi, which are crucial for households, farms, and industries in Western Kenya and beyond.
Deforestation which includes the clearing of forests for cultivation, charcoal, and timber has dramatically impacted wildlife, infrastructure, and the livelihoods of communities.
Deforestation and climate change have led to diminished surface water flows and groundwater levels, impacting communities that rely on irrigation for their farms.
An increasing number of people are turning to groundwater as a reliable source of water, putting pressure on the aquifer.
Abungu mentioned areas of intervention which include soil restoration, agroforestry, siltation and taking care of riparian areas along the rivers and wet lands.
“We have embarked on efforts to replant trees in the Kiptogot and Suam Forests within the Mt. Elgon water tower to help reestablish a sustainable water supply.
We will focus on sustainable water management practices, such as land and soil conservation, precision in fertilizer usage, and proper sewage and industrial effluent treatment, which is crucial.
And we are engaging local communities in conservation efforts and ensuring they benefit from the ecosystem is essential,” he said
Bungoma County Executive Committee member for Agriculture Mr. Herbert Kibunguchu appealed to the stakeholders to plant fruit trees like coffee and also herbal medicine trees to conserve the environment.
“This is the only way we will be conserving our environment and at the same time making money, I advocate for the conservation of our forests through growing money-making trees,” he said.
Ecosystem steward Director Apollo Edewa said they were advocates of the environment and campaigning for the growth of 50 million trees in Mt Elgon water tower by the year 2032.
“Cutting down trees for charcoal and timber has caused a lot of havoc to Mt Elgon Forest, as an organization we are campaigning for the growing of many trees to bridge the gap so that we don’t completely lose our ecosystem,” he said.
He said Mt Elgon was one of Kenya’s most critical water towers, supporting biodiversity, livelihoods and climate resilience for millions of people in Western Kenya.
This initiative aligns with the government of Kenya’s national tree growing and restoration campaign which seeks to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.
The campaign aims to mobilize multi-stakeholder support, including government, corporate entities, NGOs, academic institutions and Community groups to contribute towards ecosystem restoration in Mt Elgon.
