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By Bruhan Makong, Capital News

The government has committed to restoring 10,000 hectares of degraded forest and farmland in the Mt Elgon ecosystem under a 10-year conservation programme targeting improved land management and community livelihoods.

The initiative, implemented through the Mt Elgon Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme (ICLIP), also seeks to improve land management across 50,000 hectares and directly benefit 60,000 people.

The State Department for Forestry said the programme is anchored on four pillars: environmental restoration, sustainable livelihoods, knowledge and learning, and the protection of indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage.

The renewed commitment was highlighted during the commemoration of the second Mt Elgon Day at Kaberwa Forest Station in Bungoma County, held under the theme “Mt. Elgon: Our Heritage, Our Responsibility.”

The celebrations were presided over by Secretary for Administration Patrick Meso, who represented Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa.

“Commemoration highlighted Mt. Elgon’s ecological, cultural and economic significance as one of Kenya’s five water towers, supporting millions of people through its water catchments, biodiversity and extensive river systems, including Nzoia, Malakisi, Kuywa and Suam,” the Forestry Department said.

The programme is supported by the FAO-GEF-7 Integrated Landscape Management Project and forms part of broader efforts to promote sustainable forest management while improving the livelihoods of communities living around the ecosystem.

The government also highlighted progress in its national tree-growing campaign, which seeks to achieve 30 per cent tree cover by 2032.

In Bungoma County, approximately 20.6 million trees have been recorded since 2022, against a 10-year target of about 193.8 million trees.

The State Department for Forestry called on communities, Community Forest Associations, county governments, development partners, women and young people to participate in protecting and restoring the ecosystem.

Stakeholders were also encouraged to incorporate restoration priorities into county development plans, invest in nature-based enterprises and promote sustainable livelihoods that support conservation.

The government said strengthening community participation and sustainable economic activities would be critical to safeguarding Mt Elgon’s natural heritage for future generations.