Locals cry out as commercial grazing threatens forest

Kaptagat forest in Elgeyo Marakwet County. Despite of the government's ban on logging of trees the forest still remains animal grazing land.25.02.2020. [Peter Ochieng/standard] A stroll in the Kaptagat Forest in Elgeyo Marakwet County is breathtaking. The forest, which is part of the Cherangany Hills and one of the country's water towers, is a critical artery that provides water to major towns and communities in North Rift, Western and Nyanza regions. But beneath this beauty lies an existential threat. Herds of livestock have become the norm amid fears powerful individuals have turned the forest into a ranch, complete with cattle sheds. "They bring the animals here for fattening before they are sold for meat. We have raised concerns with the local authority to no avail. As locals, we are warned against leaving our cows to graze in the forest, but there are other individuals with cattle bomas inside the forests," says Barnabas Kering, a resident. He says the owners have hired armed men to guard the livestock. "Even vets visit the forest to treat, vaccinate or even deworm the livestock. The owners are known but untouchable because of their influential connection and wealth." In one of the bomas, tens of Boran and Sahiwal breeds, some with calves, could be seen grazing. The scenario is replicated across the five forest blocks of Kessup, Sabor, Penon, Kaptagat and Kipkabus despite efforts to rehabilitate the ecosystem. Benson Akumu, an environmental activist from Eldoret Social Justice Centre, says the animals were wiping out vegetation, including trees that have been planted. "Outside the forest, one will be deluded by its beautiful scenery, but inside, there are empty fields that have been turned into grazing areas and cattle bomas. It is clear the livestock does not belong to one individual but several well-to-do people," says Akumu. "If urgent measures are not put in place to check the menace, there is a danger of losing the watershed because it is clear the carrying capacity of the livestock in the forest has been exceeded." Satellite images confirm the forest is depleted with only small pockets of vegetation. "All this is due to overharvesting, over-grazing, and a lack of attention to and enforcement of conservation activities. Logging has been actively taking place," he says. Another activist, Kimutai Kirui, says diminishing water levels downstream could soon lead to conflicts. "We have received a lot of complaints from locals over illegal activities going on in the forest, and from our findings, there is complicity and collusion on the part of Kenya Forest Service officers," he says. The Forest Management Act also outlines provisions for community participation in forest conservation through Community Forest Associations (CFAs). Kaptagat CFA Chairman Vincent Chelimo is challenging the KFS to conduct a headcount of the animals and identify the owners. "The community enjoys forest user rights that include grazing, and they usually pay a monthly fee. But we have not seen lorries coming to ferry livestock in the fore, though there are unconfirmed reports," he says. Elgeyo Marakwet Environment CEC, Jason Lagat, notes that the county was ranked second nationally with 37 per cent forest cover, but this has declined to 29 per cent. In the Kaptagat ecosystem, 30,000 hectares of indigenous forest cover have been reduced by over 35 per cent since the early 2000s. "The decline in forest cover indicates there is environmental degradation in one way or another, which is not limited to grazing in our forests. We have made great strides in rehabilitating the forest, but our traditional livestock keeping is clawing back the gains made. At the moment, we are advocating zero grazing g a way of reducing pressure on the forests," he said. Meanwhile, Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company cannot meet its daily supply of about 65 million litres, only supplying 42 million, as the degradation of the water tower continues. Quality Assurance Officer Edwin Mengich says Kaptagat ecosystem produces over 20 per cent of the water supply. Forestry Secretary George Tarus confirmed there have been reports of commercial grazing in several forests. "Commercial grazing is prohibited. If there is grazing, then the community is the one to enjoy the rights, but even that is controlled," he said at Kamwosor during the distribution of heifers and cash-crop seedlings ahead of the annual tree growing event at the forest. The secretary revealed there are several forests in the country where grazing was banned due to abuse of user rights, and such action was not limited to the Kaptagat ecosystem. "It is pleasing to note there is ongoing rehabilitation and community empowerment dubbed Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme, which aims to conserve the forest and increase household income," he said., He explained that under the program, more than 28,000 households, mainly those who live adjacent to the forest, will benefit from it. "We have enhanced the livelihoods improvement programme through distribution of seedlings of high-value crops like avocado, macadamia, coffee, mangoes, pyrethrum, as well as dairy cattle. This will, in turn, rn ease pressure exerted on the forest for livelihood sustenance," Tarus said. "To address the forest destruct, there must be deliberate efforts to attack the drivers of that degradation, and one such driver is poverty within the neighbourhood communities," he said. Tarus said they would ensure each of the targeted households has at least an acre of fodder to feed the livestock and also an acre of cash crop through an agroforestry system that also provides biogas use.

Locals cry out as commercial grazing threatens forest

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