Burning for rain: How long-held myth fuels forest fires in Taita Taveta

Wildfire fire that has destroyed millions of acres of vegetation at the vast Tsavo National Park. [Renson Myanwezi/STANDARD]

For generations, desperate farmers in Taita Taveta County have set forests ablaze, believing that smoke billowing into the sky will induce rainfall.

This long-held myth persists, particularly during dry seasons when rains are delayed, leading to widespread destruction of forests, which serve as water towers and habitats for critically endangered wildlife and plant species.