Kshs. 1.7b worth of forest land recovered

Friday, July 23

The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife has recovered 160 acres of forest land worth Kshs. 1.7 billion which has been illegally acquired by private individuals. The recovery which was made by the Kenya Anticorruption Commission included 100 acres of Ngong Forest and 60 acres belonging to the Kenya Wildlife Service along Mombasa Road. Both assets are valued at Kshs.1.7 billion.

Ngong Road Forest is one of the few urban forests in Nairobi City. The other green areas are Karura Forest, the Arboretum, the City Park, Uhuru Park and Nairobi National Park.  In a rapidly growing city, the country needs at least 30% of the city being set aside as green areas to act as carbon sinks. 

International standards recommend a minimum of 10 percent forest cover but Kenya is way below with only two percent 2% made up of gazetted and trust land. 

“Any further loss of forest land should worry not just the environmentalists but also all patriotic citizens of Kenya” says Forestry and Wildlife Minister Dr Noah Wekesa. 

Ngong Forest Sanctuary comprises of 80% indigenous forest, the rest being exotic Eucalyptus plantations.  It is rich in biodiversity compared with other nearby forests and is home to over 120 bird species, over 35 mammals and numerous insects, reptiles and fish.  Few natural areas remain in Nairobi with such beauty, due to development pressures and land grabbing. 

The Ngong Road Forest was first gazetted as a Forest Reserve in 1932, covering approximately 7239 acres (2929.6 ha). Over the year, various legal amendments were made to convert portions of the forest for public and private development leaving 1325.2 hectares despite strong resistance led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai.  

Portions of the Ngong Road forest continued to be hived off which forced the government to fence 588.18 hectares under the Ngong Road Sanctuary Trust. 

At present, the ministry has 2500 forest rangers taking care of over 1.6 million hectares of forests; a ratio of one ranger to 700 ha of forest.  Community participation is therefore vital to ensure that the forests are not depleted. 

Under the new Forest Act, 2005, any legal excision of forest land will require endorsement by the adjacent communities, the devolved forest conservancy committee, the Kenya Forest Service, the Minister in charge of forestry and adoption by Parliament. 

“With such a stringent process, we believe that our forests will be saved from grabbers and corrupt individuals who in the past have taken advantage of the previous weak legislation” says the Minister.

Lake Elementaita declared wildlife sanctuary

Wednesday, July 28

Lake Elementaita has been declared a wildlife sanctuary with effect from July 2010.This follows a legal notice signed by the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife, Dr. Noah Wekesa specifying the area of land measuring 2,500 hectares around the lake a wildlife sanctuary.

The lake lies 120km from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi and strategically situated along the Nakuru- Nairobi highway. The lake is a paradise for bird lovers with over 350 species comprising 3,000 Pelicans and 200,000 Flamingos. It is located between Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru.

Lake Elementaita was profiled as a Ramsar site and a wetland of international importance in 2005. It is considered as an endangered ecosystem thus the legal recognition as a wildlife sanctuary, places it under the government protected areas.

The new status will provide for planned development activities such as eco-tourism which is expected to bring more benefits to the local community as a result of increased tourism activity. Presently the local community ekes out a living mainly by scooping the salty sedimentary deposits on the shores selling the salty deposits to cattle owners.

The Soysambu Wildlife Sanctuary adjacent to the lake gives an opportunity for visitors to spend time on the shores watching the variety of bird species, Buffalo, Gazelle, Water buck, Jackal, Lion, Zebra, Leopard, Eland and Cheetah among other species of wildlife.

Lake Elementaita becomes the fourth wildlife conservation area placed under the Wildlife (Conservation and Management) Act in the central rift valley in addition to Lake Nakuru, Hells Gate and Mt Longonot National Parks.