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Kenya embarks on a billion project to safeguard wildlife.

NAIROBI, Sep. 07
SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENT Njoroge Kaburo

The Government of Kenya has launched a five year project in Mount Kenya forests belt zone in a bid to ensure a secure safe wildlife and environmental conservancy. The region which measures 194,400 hectares: has 80,000 hectares of bamboo and 114,400 hectares of other forest cover is the largest indigenous forest remaining in Kenya.                                                                                                                   Commissioning the Ksh.1billion initiative to be constructed in the lush Mt. Kenya forests, a typical highland refuge for wildlife, Kenya Finance Minister Robinson Njeru Githae said that this was one of the biggest plans the government had undertaken in line with attainment of United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals Target number 7 that seek to integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs to reverse loss of environmental resources. “As the UN paper on Development goals demands, this is a maiden step seeking to achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss Proportion of land area covered by our forest,”  said Githae, who graced the auspicious occasion at Kimunye Community Forest Association “This is far much critical than any other development projects funded by the treasury in the recent past,” added Githae who also challenged every Kenyan be on the frontline to protect the forest and wildlife at large. The project dubbed Mt. Kenya Electric Fence, under the Rhino Park Fencing project covers among other projects, Mau and Emuru forest belts. According to the review team’s report, it is confirmed that already, a master plan for an estimated 267 kilometers was complete leaving 133km. The fence is to be erected with different strands at different levels and locations. The Fence will consist of three phase strands, two phase and single phase according to specifications of the masterplan by the review team. The report also stresses an urgent need to construct the maiden 400 kilometers hedge along the forests to protect the Large herds of Buffalo and Elephant found in the forest which attacked locals causing vast destruction to their crops and costing them huge loss. The review team also cited a potential ecological disaster on Mount Kenya which threatened the wildlife in an ecosystem which covers thousands of hectares of Mount Kenya's ancient forests, a crucial water catchment tower for the country. Other animals found in the forest are Rhino, Lion, Black Panthers (melanisitic leopards).The forest Canopy is also home to smaller game such as reedbuck, warthog, hyrax and genet cats, Colobus, Vervet and Sykes monkeys.

As reservoirs of water in the wet season, Kenyans and the Kenyan economy at large rely on the ecosystem serviced by the water towers which provide rainfall and hydro-electricity.

Acting permanent Secretary in the Ministry of forestry and wildlife Mr. Lawrence Mwadime discouraged locals from encroaching the forest area for the good of the forests’ Biodiversity.

He called on Kenyans from all walks of life to join hands and protect this Ecosystem to ensure that the rich biological diversity presented by the forest should be maintained to secure region which hosts thousands of tourists every year.

“There is also an urgent need to secure the tourism platform presented by great scenic area for the sake of both local and national economies, but this will remain a pipe dream if we (Kenyans) continue to threaten the ecosystem characterized by a diversity of species and plants.”

He added citing recent reported incidences that some locals had trespassed the forest enterprise felling bamboo to plant illegal crops. He said that the government would not sit back and watch this eventuality.                            

 Poachers who targeted the elephants that roam the forested slopes of Mount Kenya for their ivory tusks were also warned sternly as the deadly fence was laid.

Mr. Kipngetich, the director of Kenya Wildlife Services challenged the Media to report more on environmental issues and focus their advocacy more on developmental areas.

He daunted those who were up for the mad rush for biofuels at the expense of indigenous forest cover to quit the exercise condemning the act as illegal.

Kipngetich enumerated the need to conservation of indigenous forest soils, due to their high organic matter content and value saying that it absorbs considerable quantities of water, slowly releasing it into streams and rivers which come in handy during dry season.

The Chairman of the Mau Secritariat Mr.Hassan Noor Hassan observes that when a forest is destroyed, the layer of fallen leaves and other forest waste above the soil disappears, and thus rainfall runs off rapidly, causing flash floods and carrying away topsoil. Streams and rivers then silt up, producing less water during the dry season, causing water shortages downstream, or even drying up completely.

She cited this adding that Most of Kenya’s hydropower generating projects depend on rivers from Mt. Kenya.

“Therefore when locals become irresponsible, the idea of the hydropower plants to produce electricity will vanish thus affecting the Kenyan economy,” added Hassan.

Ends……………..

Njoroge kaburo

Nairobi, Kenya.