New app to monitor Kenyan forests set for Friday launch

NAIROBI, KENYA: A new mobile system that enable communities to report on forests activities to a centralised server has been developed.

The technology system also known as k-macho is expected to enhance forests monitoring and reporting by various stakeholders for informed decision making.

The system  user is only required to have a smart phone, download the app and take an incidence which will be sent on real time to Kenya Forests Working Group’s (KFWG) website, there after making it open and available to any stakeholder. 

The system is a joint initiative of the Kenya Forests Working Group, University of Nairobi, K-MACHO application developers other players are Community Forest Association members.

More than 5 million Kenyans have smart phones majority of whom are the youth but have little information on forests, making this information available via google maps will not only increase accessibility to necessary information but also enhance forest governance.

“The new app is user friendly and now will enable community users real time forest reporting,” says Jackson Bambo, Kenya Forests Working Group Coordinator.