County receives Sh95 million for fencing of Kakamega Forest

Efforts to protect Kakamega forest have received a major boost after Sh95 million was released towards the initiative.

Safaricom and Mpesa Foundation released Sh60 million with Kakamega and Vihiga Counties contributing Sh25 million and Sh10 million respectively towards phase two of the Kakamega forest fencing project.

Governor Fernandes Barasa told The Standard that phase one of the forest fencing covered at least 15 kilometers out of the total 117 kilometers targeted and gobbled Sh25 million.

Phase two of the project expected to kick off next month will cover at least 35 kilometers. The remaining 68-kilometer stretch will be done under phase three of the project.

According to Barasa, the project is meant to prevent encroachment and human activities on the forest land. It will also help mitigate the effects of climate change.

"This year, through our partnership with Rhino Ark and Vihiga County, we have mobilized Sh 95 million. We are set to start fencing the second phase of our forest around April in a bid to conserve the tropical rainfall forest and mitigate the effects of climate change. We also want to ensure we prevent encroachment into the forest where people carry out human activities like charcoal burning and logging," said Barasa.

He disclosed that in the financial year 2024/2025, his administration has approved a project to plant and grow at least 1 million trees.

"We have a program on afforestation and to ensure our natural resources are protected and we target to plant more than 1 million trees this financial year alone to protect our water catchment areas," said Barasa.

Last year, Kakamega received Sh 200 million from Word Bank in climate-resilient investment grants under the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) program.

Governor Barasa said that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has committed to supporting fencing and securing of the Kakamega tropical rainforest.

"The forest has over 1,000 bird species, we are taking the initiative of conserving it through a partnership with key stakeholders. UNDP has committed to help communities living around the forest to get alternative sources of energy," added Barasa.

"My administration will earmark Sh 50 million every financial year for the fencing and protecting the forest and other natural resources and providing tree seedlings to be planted in Kakamega forest and other water catchment areas within our county," said Barasa.

UNDP and the Japanese government had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the national government, Vihiga, and Kakamega Counties on the fencing and conservation of the Kakamega forest in a bid to restore and protect the forest and natural resources.

The agreement commits the Ministry of Tourism and the two county governments, development partners, and communities living near the forest to protect and conserve it.

UNDP and the Japanese government are committed to the project that will guarantee the protection of over 4,000 bird species, indigenous trees, wild animals, rare snakes, butterflies among other wildlife and natural resources within and around the forest.

Vihiga Governor Wilbur Ottichilo said it is high time affirmative action to restore water towers to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country rolled out in Western.

"Overall, nationally our water towers like Mau, Cherengani, and Mt Elgon which are major towers have been severely destroyed and degraded to a level whereby we need affirmative action to restore them," said Ottichilo.

"We have a crisis as water is essential and life, if we do not restore the water towers we stand an eminent risk of water scarcity yet Kenya is a water scarce country according to World Classification."

Ottichilo said the country needs a collective effort to protect wetlands areas which are the main source of water for most rivers.

"There were deliberate moves by powerful people in the government to destroy our wetland areas by either selling and partitioning and cultivating lands which were wetlands with the help of some corrupt officials from the Lands registry who issued fake title deeds," said Ottichilo.

"We need to have a law that prohibits people from planting eucalyptus trees near the river banks and in wetland areas which dry up most of our rivers. In Vihiga, we have drafted a law which criminalizes planting of eucalyptus trees near our riverbanks and in wetland areas and I will be presenting it to the County Assembly for approval."

Dr Ottichilo, an environmental expert, and Barasa called for smart agriculture which requires less land with no negative effects on the environment.