The PS Environment Ephantus Kimotho and FAO Rep. Kenya during the handover ceremony

The Kirisia Participatory Forest Management project was officially handed over to the Kirisia Community in Samburu County.

The five-year project supported co-ownership of Kirisia forest with the local community and to ensure locally led sustainable conservation, management, and restoration of Kirisia/Leroghi forests to mitigate effects of climate change, improve forest cover as well as livelihoods of forest adjacent communities through sustainable utilisation of forest-based products such as grazing rights, firewood, sustainable sand harvesting, honey collection and eco-tourism.

FAO through funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) implemented the project “Capacity, Policy and Financial Incentives for PFM in Kisiria Forest and integrated Rangelands Management” - Kirisia PFM project.

Through FAO, GEF 5, and Kenya Forestry Service (KFS), the Kirisia Community Forest Association took lead in restoring Kirisia Forest, which was on its deathbed. The forest, which supports over 10,000 households, had been destroyed by human activities such as excessing and uncoordinated livestock grazing, threating agriculture livelihoods for future generations.

FAO Representative Carla Mucavi in her remarks affirmed continued partnership and collaboration with the Community Forest Association (CFA) to open a new chapter for the safeguarding of Kirisia forest following the reforestation and protection for natural regeneration interventions.

"Today we celebrate this milestone, and we dedicate it to you because you willingly vacated this forest a few years ago even when things seemed difficult. As FAO we have walked this journey together and will continue doing so because all of us must hold hands to tame challenges of climate change”, she said.

Launching of Kirisia/Leroghi Participatory Forest Management Plan and Forest Management Agreement

During the event, Samburu based Kirisia/Leroghi Forest Management Plan and Agreement was launched and signed respectively marking the beginning of the community ownership of the initiative.

The exercise which involved presentation of the Participatory Forest Management Plan (PFMP) and the signing of the Forest Management Agreement (FMA) between the Chairman of Kirisia Forest Association and the KFS Chief Conservator was presided over by the Environment Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimoth, FAO Representative in Kenya Carla Mucavi, and KFS  Assistant Director Peter Nduati. The ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Governor of Samburu, Gabriel Lenengwesi; Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda; Samburu North MP Eli Letipila and the community.

The signing of the FMA is in line with The Forest Conservation and Management Act No.34 of 2016, which entrenches Management Plans as mandatory in the management of public forests.

The PS Forestry, while addressing the community, reiterated the government's commitment towards supporting the locals in ownership and conservation efforts of one of the four gazetted forests in the area sitting on 92,000 acres of land.

"This is an ambitious plan to make Kirisia forest in Samburu a center of excellence because of its nobility, hence should be supported, as it's in line with our vision aimed at impacting livelihoods of the local communities positively and further help in execution of programs in the forest management plan. I must laud FAO for having done a great job in making this happen as United Nations declared 2021-30 the period of forest conversation”, he stated.

During the event, FAO handed over six community forest scout tents to be equipped with 60 sleeping bags and Ponchos to support the over 150 community scouts patrolling Kirisia Forest. Guests were also led to a tour of various FAO supported interventions at Kirisia/Leroghi Community Forest Association, including an Apiary, tree nursery and restoration sites.

The event was followed by a two-day workshop in which the project steering committee and various key stakeholders met to finalize the long-term sustainability strategy for the exit of the project and to review the implementation of the project. The closure of the project was finally marked by ceremonial tree planting by all the implementing partners.