Locals hold demos in support of efforts to fence Kaptagat Forest

Suspected vandals have destroyed a section of an electric fence currently being erected around the 20,000-hectare Kaptagat Forest in Elgeyo Marakwet.

Locals living adjacent to the Lower Sabor section of the forest held a peaceful protest to condemn the destruction while demanding a probe into the crime.

The fence is suspected to have been vandalised on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, just hours after two rival groups, one supporting the fencing exercise aimed at guarding the forest from illegal logging and overgrazing and a faction opposing the conservation exercise.

At the same time, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the implementing agency, has defended the fencing project, arguing that it conducted public participation before the exercise began on May 11.

Locals, among them community elders, condemned the destruction of the section of the perimeter fence during the peaceful protest on Wednesday evening.

According to the locals, political forces were attempting to frustrate conservation of Kaptagat Forest for selfish reasons.

Lower Sabor resident Philemon Kimuge condemned the destruction and claimed that the suspected vandals may have been ferried from distant areas on Tuesday night, just hours after critics of the fencing programme held protests in Kitany, Keiyo South, less than ten kilometres from the scene of vandalism.

“We are asking our leaders to take the politics to political forums and stop interfering with conservation of forests,” said Kimuge.

He said the Keiyo community, which lives around the Kaptagat forest, has been assured of unfettered access to their sacred places (known as menjo) within the water catchment area ahead of November/December circumcision ceremonies, and has no reason to oppose the project.

Gideon Kipchumba asked investigative agencies to pursue the sponsors of the vandalism suspects.

“We will cooperate with investigative agencies to bring to book those who maliciously damaged the fence,” he said, calling for another round of public participation for locals who are still opposed to the conservation project.

Kipchumba said locals living near the forest approved the fencing project to stop it from further degradation.

Kipchumba said a section of locals were opposing the conservation project after they were misled that wild animals from a different ecosystem would be brought into Kaptagat to boost tourism.

“There are no wild animals in Kaptagat and through public participation, we were informed by experts that wild animals can’t be brought to the forest by force because their food habitats are different,” said Kipchumba

He added: “It is ironic that we are facing a serious drought that has resulted in loss of maize crop this season and some people are still opposing conservation of forests in a region that witnessed unprecedented change of weather patterns this year.”

Granny footballers, among them Sally Biwott, who train on a playing field within the forest, were among the peaceful protesters.

Community elder Benjamin Kipserem said suspects of forest degradation are not locals living adjacent to the resource.

Kipserem said enough gates are in place to allow controlled access to the forest while warding off persons who are bent on engaging in illegal activities, including unauthorised logging within the water tower.

His counterpart, George Cherutich, said the forest had a fence around it in the 1960s.

Cherutich said the fence, which stretched from Kipchawat to sections of Chepkorio, protected the forest from massive destruction and should be supported to restore degraded sections.

“When I was growing up in the 1960s and through the 1970s, Kaptagat forest was fenced, and there was restricted access to it. Those days, the forest was well conserved, and the water levels in rivers flowing to many parts of Elgeyo Marakwet and Uasin Gishu were high,” the elder said.

Kitany location Chief Moses Keitany said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was pursuing the suspected vandals.

“The suspects will soon be apprehended with the help of members of the public,” the Chief said.

KFS North Rift regional conservator John Rono said the move will protect the forest from encroachment while taming illegal logging, charcoal burning and agricultural activities that have historically degraded the forest.

The regional conservator attributed opposition to the project to misinformation targeted at locals who fear losing access to forest resources and others suspecting ill motives.

"During public participation meetings, those opposing the fencing have raised a few concerns, but upon review, most of these claims are not based on valid legal or factual grounds," said Rono.