Farmers to benefit from Kaptagat forest conservation project

President William Ruto plants a tree during the Annual Kaptagat Forest tree planting at Our Lady of Glory Kaptagat Girls High School in Elgeyo Marakwet County. [PCS]

At least 28,000 farmers are expected to benefit from an empowerment project to conserve Kaptagat forest in Elgeyo Marakwet county.

Kaptagat forest is the main source of rivers that serve Rift Valley and Western.

Speaking to farmers on Monday after touring the forest, the Treasury Secretary Chris Kiptoo who is also patron of the project, said they are working with partners in the environment sector to help farmers around five blocks of forests to adopt farming of modern crops and dairy farming.

Dr Kiptoo said the empowerment project will end farmers reliance on the forest for their livelihood and will help them improve livestock breed and adopt green energy like biogas and procurement gadgets.

He emphasised that planting trees across the country was part of President William Ruto's Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda which focuses on improving water catchment.

The PS who was accompanied by Governor Wisley Rotich said the tree planting initiative is a collaboration with a number of companies such as Eldowas, AAR Healthcare among other stakeholders.

Their main focus is to attain the Vision 2030 planting tree programme to save the country from poverty.

"On the tree growing plan our strategy is to continuously encourage the replenishment of green spaces within communities by planting selected indigenous trees," PS said

Kiptoo said their vision is to improve the living conditions of communities through initiatives that foster a healthy environment in future.

Kiptoo further expressed concerns over climate change noting that the county's current forest cover was seven percent which is below the ten percent minimum threshold.

"We should not watch as the government and other stakeholders seek to protect natural resources both for the future of humanity and business, we must commit ourselves for us to achieve or succeed in our mission," the governor said.

"We shall endeavor to be a county of good steward of the natural and physical environment to ensuring that our forest is properly protected," Rotich said

The governor asked stakeholders in environmental conservation to join efforts to curb carbon emissions through tree-planting.