Years back, Maragoli Forest hills in Vihiga county was a thick and lush forest and the region used to receive plenty of rain. But things took a shift to the worst after locals around the area started engaging in massive logging. In a bid to change the tide and restore the crucial water tower’s lost glory, the county and national government embarked on intense afforestation activities. But there was a setback- local’s resistance. Despite knowledge of the importance of the restorative efforts, locals fought the project. Hard. But now efforts to revive the 1000-acre critical water tower have gained positive momentum after the county embraced a new aggressive restoration strategy- putting the locals at the centre of it all. The county is now fully involving the locals in the process with incentives like tree seedlings production business. Vihiga Governor Dr Wilber Ottichilo says the forest’s restoration journey has been characterised by resistance and lack of cooperation from some local community members.