Elgeyo Marakwet residents protest county's planned water tower

Resident of Kaptagat forest hold a demonstration against a move by Elgeyo marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos's move to push for the forest to be gazetted as a water tower. The residents noted that the move will affect millions who depend on the forest for their livelihood. November 19, 2015. PHOTO BY: KEVIN TUNOI

Elgeyo Marakwet residents have protested a plan to declare Kaptagat forest a water tower.

They dismissed it as a political move that will deprive them of their livelihoods since they rely on the forest for income, besides the conservancy under the greater Cherangany water tower.

This comes against a backdrop of calls by area Governor Alex Tolgos who asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare the forest a water tower, claiming rivers originating from the ecosystem are on the verge of drying up.

"Mr. President, we would like you to declare Kaptagat forest a water tower. Residents of Uasin Gishu risk going without water because the forest has been depleted and Torok fall, which supplies water to Kerio Valley residents is drying up because of wanton destruction," said the governor at Kapkoi when he hosted the president on Monday.

But the residents have dismissed the move, saying it was a political declaration and they risk losing vital income generating activities if the president goes ahead to declare the forest a water tower.

 "We graze our livestock on this forest which we sell them to meet our daily demands. Our livelihood will be affected because the livestock will be ejected from grazing there," said Kiprono Cheruiyot, a local community forest association official.