Understanding issues surrounding Embobut forest eviction

Julius Kamau, Executive Director-East African Wildlife Society (PHOTO: COURTESY)

NAIROBI, KENYA: Cherangani Hill Forest is critical water shed in Kenya that supports the livelihoods of many communities locally and within the Lake Victoria, Lake Turkana basins and the Kerio river system.

It is a source of several rivers which includes, Nzoia, Morum, Kapolet, Saiwa, Embobut, Siga and Weiwei. These forest hills are located within Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Trans-Nzoia Counties. They cover approximately 95,600 ha, of which 61,500 ha is closed canopy forest while the remainder is constituted of Bamboo, scrub, rock, grassland, moorland with about 4,000 ha under plantations.