KFS and stakeholders put up electric fence for Rumuruti Forest

The Chairman, Central Highlands FCC Mr. Kinyua Kibaki (r) presents a copy of the Management Agreements document to Mr. John Wanyiri - an Assistant Director in the KFS Legal Services Department

The Head of  Central Highlands Conservancy Mr. John Wachihi addresses members of the Rumuruti CFA during the Management Agreements signing ceremony at the Zonal Manager's office in Nyahururu

Rumuruti CFA and KFS officials sign the Management Agreements documents while seniour KFS and other government officials witness

 

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) in conjunction with the Rumuruti Community Forest Association (CFA) and other local stakeholders have put up a 40 km fence around the Rumuruti Forest in a bid to stop elephants from destroying their crops as well as protecting the forest from unwanted interference especially from over grazing by domestic animals.

This was said by the Head of Central Highlands Conservancy Mr. John Wachihi during the signing of the Rumuruti Forest Management Agreements at the Zonal Manager’s office in Nyahururu, Laikipia Forest Zone. Mr. Wachihi said that KFS had contributed over 4000 posts towards the construction of the fence and cash amounting to over one million shillings. He congratulated the Rumuruti CFA for getting the management agreements signed saying that it will help in the sustainable utilization of the forest’s resources by the community. He noted that the community living adjacent to the forest was poor and thus relied on the forest for daily sustenance.

Speaking at the same event, the Chairman of the Central Highlands Forest Conservation Committee (FCC) Mr. Kinyua Kibaki while congratulating the Rumuruti CFA for signing the management agreements with KFS, urged the local community to take up tree planting on their farms saying that this was the only way of guaranteeing the peaceful co-existence of future generations.

The chairman of the CFA Mr. Dickson Kamau thanked KFS for the signing of the forest management agreements saying that it would help in increasing the incomes of the members and thus alleviating poverty in the area. The Chairman reiterated the CFA’s pledge to protect and sustainably utilize the forest’s resources for their own benefit and the sustainable existence of the forest.  

While officiating over the signing of the agreements on behalf of the Legal Services Department, Assistant Director John Wanyiri asked the CFA to abide by the agreements reached in the documents saying that it was a legally binding document. He said that the agreement covers the entire Rumuruti forest comprising of 6 500 hectares and will be in effect for five years after which another management agreement for the will be drawn up in accordance with the Forests Act 2005. He said that this was the fifth management agreement signed between KFS and CFAs out of 42 completed management plans in the country.

Article and pictures by Leakey Sonkoyo