State says Mukogodo to remain protected public forest in Laikipia

Environment CS Deborah Barasa when she appeared before the National Assembly Public Petitions Committee.

The government has rejected proposals to revoke the gazettement of Mukogodo Forest in Laikipia County as a safeguarded public forest.

The forest reserve covering 30,189 hectares (74,598 acres) is in Laikipia North subcounty. It was originally defined by boundary plan No 75/68 LN 89 of 1937 and gazetted through Legal Notice No 174 of 1964.

The Kenya Forest Service manages the reserve jointly with the Mukogodo Community Forest Association (Ilmamusi); it comprises natural forest, woodlands and grassland.

Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere petitioned the National Assembly to revoke the gazettement.

She proposed the forest be reclassified as a community forest managed by local communities, including the Il Ngwesi and Yaaku.

Korere said the forest has historically been safeguarded by these communities for centuries and serves as a cultural, religious and livelihood resource.

The petitioners requested that 20,189 hectares (49,888 acres) be designated as a community forest and the remaining 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) allocated for resettlement of the affected communities.

Korere cited security concerns, livestock banditry and illegal occupation as challenges affecting the forest and local residents.

Environment CS Deborah Barasa, appearing before the National Assembly Public Petitions Committee, rejected the petition. The committee is chaired by Runyenjes MP Eric Muchangi.

She said Mukogodo Forest is an important water catchment, drained by seasonal rivers, including Losigiria and tributaries of the Kispsing River, and contains numerous springs.

Barasa said the forest hosts many kinds of indigenous plants as well as elephants, buffalo, bushbuck, red duikers, impalas and smaller mammals.

She said the landscape has high ecotourism potential, lying along a historical elephant migratory corridor linking Northern Rangelands, Borana and Lewa Conservancies, Ngare Ndare Forest and Mt Kenya Forest Reserve.

Under the management agreement with the Community Forest Association, local communities have user rights including eco-tourism, recreation, seedling production, water abstraction, collection of wild fruits and vegetables, grass and fodder harvesting, grazing and beekeeping.

Barasa said security concerns fall under national agencies and are being addressed through multiagency operations.

She said revoking the gazettement would conflict with Article 69 of the Constitution and national efforts to increase tree cover to 30 per cent by 2032 under the government’s restoration programme.

The CS said her ministry has not sanctioned displacement of the Il Ngwesi or Yaaku communities from Mukogodo Forest.

“The ministry is not aware of, nor has it sanctioned, any displacement of the Il Ngwesi and Yaaku communities from Mukogodo Forest. No eviction, removal, or administrative action has been undertaken by KFS that would amount to displacement,” Barasa said.