Residents of Rumuruti last week embarked on an ambitious eco-tourism
programme to make jumbos which have reduced them into paupers via
frequent invasions of farms to become their new cash cows from tourism
earnings.
After a visit to Meru National Park, Rumuruti Community Forest
Association(CFA) members were awed to learn that their problematic
jumbos relocated three years ago had become a ‘magnet’ that made
tourists flock there enabling the park to earn a extra Sh 10million.
“We have identified Osama, Kamau, Mohamed and Longisa as problematic
jumbos here but we will not allow their relocation to any other park.
Our CFA jointly with other stakeholders to develop eco-lodges via a
plan that enables us to sustainably use the 6,500hectare forest that
is home to 500 jumbos,” said an official Mr John Kamau.
The sentiments were expressed when Rumuruti residents led by their two
civic leaders Mr Simon Nyuto(Melwa) and Mr Kinyua karimi signed an
agreement jointly with Kenya Forest Service committing themselves to
reverse the destruction of the forest as well as lead an intensified
assault against poachers, loggers and charcoal burners.
This would be done with a clear focus on the jumbos’ potential to earn
them an income via establishment of eco-lodges, nature trails and an
extensive beekeeping project as well as an indigenous tree nursery
project for sale to farmers.
The PFMP empowers the association to establish a seed collection team
that will source for indigenous tree seedlings and seeds collected
from the forest for trees as well as for other plants identified as
suitable and traditionally belonging to Laikipia for propagation.
“The forest is not ‘mali ya serikali’(state’s property) where we
allowed wanton destruction because it was not ours. Now we realize
that destruction of forests has brought us woes that only us can
reverse. Let us rehabilitate it by first stopping destruction from any
quarter while we seek ways to sustainably use it,” said Central
Highlands head of Conservancy Mr John Wachihi.
Mr Wachihi said projects identified as viable would be funded as a way
of reducing over-reliance on forests as a source of income among them
fish keeping, beekeeping, tree nursery establishment and tree seed
harvesting among other ventures encompassed in the agreement.
The signing of the Rumuruti CFA-KFS Participatory Forest Management
Plan(PFMP) conducted last week empowers residents to take stern
measures against anyone found destroying forests while giving them
full charge to spearhead rehabilitation plans.
In the past two decades, farmers have suffered immeasurable loss from
rogue jumbos residing within Rumuruti forest and others seeking
pastures that destroy crops, granaries and at times kill people due to
hunger.
Jumbos from Meru, Samburu and the larger Laikipia region make annual
pilgrimage to Laikipia West in their hundreds and in the last
parliament immediate former MP GG Kariiuki successfully moved a motion
seeking to hold liable private wildlife sanctuary owners and the
government for damage, injuries and deaths caused by jumbos.
But the bill which had been passed by parliament and forwarded to
President Kibaki suffered its final blow when he declined to assent to
it and referred it back to parliament for further scrutiny.
Laikipia Zonal Forest Manager Mr William Cheptoo said forest
destruction could become a thing of the past if duties of taking care
of forests became a communal one. He said the community would be held
liable and all its favours withdrawn if it is found they had failed to
take sufficient measures to protect it.
The signing of the PFMP agreement is the first in Laikipia’s five
forests, Rumuruti, Lariak,Mukogodo, Gitundaga, North and South
Marmanet forests with active CFAs and the fifth in the country after
South Imenti, Gathioro,Hombe and Gatharu in Nyeri county.
Mr Wachihi said rehabilitation was key to restoration of rivers and
streams that used to flow freely to Nrothern Kenya thereby providing
people, livestock and wild animals with water.
But with demise of rivers, the pastoralists continue to move upstream
with their livestock leading to overgrazing of forests and tragic
sporadic battles leading to scores of deaths as pastoralists fight for
watering points.
“Security in this area can only be guaranteed if our forests are
restored and sustainably utilised as it has happened elsewhere in the
country. Come up with tree seedlings for sale and planting within your
farms as well as in forests as rehabilitation is key to any forest
management structure,” the head of conservancy said.
Forest Conservation Committee national chairman Mr Kinyua Kibaki said
strict laws on protecting the environment and forests called for a
structured link between residents and forests as a sure way of
avoiding incarceration.
Other forests, he observed, had seen strong regeneration with farmers
also involved in tree planting via the recently introduced Plantation
Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme(PELIS).
PELIS allows farmers to cultivate forestland while tending for trees
and after three years they are re-allocated other forest cover
depleted areas where a similar exercise takes place.
Only projects that are not destructive are allowed and the CFA are
empowered to manage their own activities within the forest where
anyone wishing to enter the forest must seek clearance from them.
“42 CFA-KFS agreements are ready for approval out of which 11 are from
Central highlands. The Mau conservancy bringing together Bahati,
Dundori and Eburu are also in the pipeline and will be taken to FCC
for approval. Kieni and Kamakia forest edge communities have also been
received,” said KFS assistant director Mr John Munyiri.
KFS won the hearts of Rumuruti residents after they financed jointly
with CDF led by Laikipia West MP Ndiritu Muriithi a solar powered
fence along the edge of the forest.
Mr Wachihi directed stern action be taken against farmers found to be
destroying the fence to give their livestock access to the forest
saying this had reversed gains made after erection of the fence.
ENDS
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