Another key forest on the brink of depletion by loggers, charcoal burners

Mau Forest, Kenya: As focus remains on the ongoing destruction and reclamation of the Mau Forest, one of the biggest water towers in East Africa, destruction of equal measure is taking place in another indigenous forest 200 km away.

Although Nyakweri Forest in Transmara, Narok County, is not a household name, more than 12 rivers emanating from it are drying up because of unchecked logging and charcoal burning. The water levels at Mogor River, which feeds the Sondu River and is the main source of fresh water for residents of Lolgorian, Nyamira, Kisii and Migori, are fast receding because of unchecked human activities in Nyakweri Forest.

The killing of elephants for their tusks and other wild animals for meat in the forest has also been on the rise since destruction of the ecosystem started three years ago. According to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), more than 40 elephants have been killed in the forest in the last two years by poachers who have taken advantage of the poor security in the forest. More than 40 families of the jumbos live in the forest.

Recently, a group of conservationists raised the red flag that human activities in the expansive forest over the last three years have destroyed more than 100 acres of indigenous trees.

“Unless something is done now to halt the ongoing destruction of the only indigenous forest in the region, it will be depleted in the next 10 years with catastrophic consequences to the people and animals that depend on it,” Peter ole Tompoi, the chairman of Nyakweri-Kimindet Forest Conservation Trust, said.

Urgent controls

Speaking recently in Kilgoris during a Climate Change Adaptation Project workshop sponsored by the Indigenous Information Network (IIN) and the Kenya Forest Working Group (KFWG), the conservationists proposed that the forest be placed under the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) for proper management and rehabilitation.

They said the forest, which is also the habitat for rare primate species, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and various bird species, was the home of chimpanzees more than 60 years ago. Nyakweri is a Kisii name for chimpanzees. According to the conservationists, Nyakweri Forest is the biggest supplier of charcoal to Narok, Kisii, Nyamira, Migori and Kisumu counties. The forest also supplies hard timber to Nairobi, Mombasa and the Middle East.

Michael Nangeya, the chairman of Sirwa-Aulo Water Users Association, and Samuel Naikada of Dupota Community Forest Association, want the Water Resource Management Authority (WRMA) to control irrigation activities along Mogor River. “There is need for WRMA to control irrigation activities that are denying water to people living downstream,” he said.

The two said increased water diversion along rivers, waterways and wetlands has compromised the amount of water available for human, livestock and wildlife consumption. “The effects of destruction have negatively affected biodiversity dependent on their seasonal flows. Due to water scarcity, large scale farmers around the Mogor River are using huge amounts to irrigate their land, leading to constrained grazing resources for livestock and wildlife,” said Nangeya.

Rudolf Makhanu, the KFWG National Coordinator, believes the destruction of forests in Transmara to pave way for sugarcane and maize plantations could lead to conflict over resources among the various communities that depend on them.

Long term benefits

Mr Makhanu wants the Ministry of Lands and the Narok County Government to stop sub-dividing forests into parcels. “The rush to destroy forests to pave way for agriculture should be discouraged. The effects of destruction will be immense. The Narok County Government and residents can accrue immense and long term benefits if the forests are conserved,” he said.

Narok County KFS Ecosystem Coordinator James Mburu said Nyakweri falls under communal forests, and noted that there was little KFS could do to halt its destruction. “Its conservation and future rehabilitation is a big challenge. Apart from arresting merchants transporting charcoal and timber, our hands are tied on its conservation programmes,” he says.

Nicolas Murero, the chairman of the Narok County Wildlife Environment Forum, says like the 400,000-hectare Mau Complex, the forest should be policed and conserved. He wants communities living around it to be assisted to form wildlife conservancies for them to reap maximum benefits from tourism activities.

The Mara Conservancy that manages the Mara Triangle, he says, has for a long time tried to rope in neighbouring communities to end the destruction because most elephants in the triangle retreat to the forest to give birth.

“Without the forest, there will be no Mara Triangle, the part of the Mara that is teeming with herds of elephants,” say Murero.