Where the forest keeps the law: The Ogiek write a Life Plan for their land

Members of the Ogiek Community of Chepkitale welcome visitors from the Colombia Misak Indigenous community during their visit to Mt Elgon. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

The morning dew still clung to the grass as Moses Masai left his homestead in Labot village, high in the moorlands of Mt Elgon, to gather ceremonial twigs for visiting guests. With every step, his boots left imprints in the wet grass, marking a quiet trail across the open landscape. Along the forest edge, old trees draped in moss looked almost enchanted, while mist rose slowly from the earth like soft smoke.