Mau conservation gets Sh532m boost from US

By Karanja Njoroge

Nakuru County

The Mau Forest Complex conservation initiative has received Sh532 million from the US Government.

The US Government, through the USAid, is undertaking the project known as Promara.

USAid officials have set up base in Nakuru and opened an office to co-ordinate the conservation efforts.

Promara is part of the Sh532 million project to rehabilitate the Mau ecosystem announced by the American Ambassador Michael Ranneberger during a tree planting exercise attended by Prime Minister Raila Odinga in May.

A project official, Mr Ian Deshmukh, said they have been in Nakuru for the last two weeks. Deshmukh said the initiative, which will involve the local community, would focus on restoration and protection of the critical catchments, forests and biodiversity.

Conservation Effort

"We will be co-operating with the local community in the conservation effort," he said yesterday.

He said the project seeks to improve land and natural resources tenure as well as residents’ livelihoods.

The project comes at critical time following claims the forest’s conservation efforts have slowed down. The Mau Forest issue seems to have taken a back seat with top Government officials remaining silent on the matter.

"We intend to educate the community on various policies and issues like global warming so that they realise the importance of conservation," Deshmukh said. Speaking during the tree planting exercise in Eastern Mau, Mr Ranneberger said part of the money would be used to reclaim the Upper Mara River catchment area, the source of River Mara, which feeds the Masai Mara National Reserve.

Due to massive degradation of the forest, the Mara River has nearly dried up, threatening the existence of game in the Masai Mara.

The ambassador said part of the money would be used by the Lands Ministry to survey and register title deeds for South-western Mau and Trans-Mara Forest Reserve.

The Chairman of the Friends of Mau Jackson Kamuye said matters have been made worse by the Government’s failure to allocate money during the Budget for the rehabilitation and compensation of the settlers.