KFS sponsors a Misitu special - Prof. Musangi Cup

Kenya Forest Service held the annual Prof .Musangi Golf tournament on 27^th August, 2011 at Kitale Club. The event that was dubbed ‘plant a tree golf challenge’ had an impressive number of golfers which included dignitaries like Hon. Dr Mukhisa Kituyi.

Present to support the KFS Chairman on this initiative was the Director KFS Mr. D.K Mbugua, Board Members Mrs. Fatuma Sichale, Maj. (Rtd) Daniel Ing’ollan and Mr. Joseph Mang’ira. Also present was the Principal of Kenya Forestry College Prof Ogweno, the area Zonal Manager Mr. E. Wahome, Assistant Director Mr. Owino Ochiel and acting Head of Corporate Communications Department Mr. Charles Ngunjiri.

Speaking at the event, KFS Chairman Prof. Musangi said that it was a pleasure to preside over the Musangi Cup and reiterated the importance of forests in climate change where forests absorb Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere. He congratulated the members for coming up in large numbers to participate in the tournament.

Speaking at the prize giving ceremony to award the winners of the day, The Director echoed the Chairman’s sentiments and encouraged everyone to get involved and partner with KFS to attain a 10% forest cover.

A tree planting exercise was then held in the golf course where the KFS Board members, the Director and other members of the club planted trees.

The captain Mr. C. Yano thanked Prof. Musangi and KFS team for supporting the tournament and promised to mobilize his fellow golfers to tree planting activities on the golf course saying he was looking forward to staging another event come next year.

The KFS Board Chairman Prof. Richard Musangi plants a tree at the Kitale Golf Club

The Chairman presents the winning prize to the winner of the day

The Director KFS Mr. David Mbugua participates in the tournament

Story by Lydia Ogada, pictures by Michael Muratha

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

The Korean Ambassador visits Mau Forest

The Korean Ambassador H. E. Cha-Woo Kim (3rd right in hat) listens to the Nakuru Zonal Forest Manager Mr. Mukundi explaining a point at Sururu Forest in the Mau Forest Complex

The Ambassador is briefed at the Head of Conservancy's office in Nakuru before the tour. On the right is the HOC Mr. Cosmas Ikiugu

Korean embassy officials led by the Ambassador (center), senior KFS and Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife officials pose for a picture at the Menengai Crater

The Ambassador of South Korea to Kenya His Excellency Chan-Woo Kim recently toured parts of the Mau Forest Complex to familiarize himself with the initiatives the government and KFS have put in place to reclaim and rehabilitate the important water tower. This followed a meeting between the KFS Director Mr. David Mbugua and the Korean Deputy Permanent Representative to UNEP Mr. Jeong Jogfeon earlier where the Director briefed him on forestry reforms in the country.

The Ambassador who was accompanied by a journalist from Korea who is compiling articles on forestry to highlight the plight of forests this being the International Year of Forests toured rehabilitation sites in Sururu Forest Station and also visited Menengai Forest Station in Nakuru where he saw the Menengai Crater and learned of the ecotourism activities being undertaken by KFS in the area.

The Ambassador was met and briefed by the Head of Mau Conservancy Mr. Cosmas Ikiugu on the various opportunities and challenges associated with the biggest water catchment in the East African region. He informed the Ambassador that the Government through KFS had achieved a lot in the restoration of the forest noting that all squatters had been evicted. He added that the government was working on modalities that will see the evictees and those who had proper documents settled elsewhere.

Mr. Chan-Woo Kim who has been in the country for three months pledged to seek support from his government and NGOs from his country working in the country for the conservation and restoration of the Mau Complex.

Article and pictures by Leakey Sonkoyo

Korean Delegation Visits KFS

The KFS Director Mr. David Mbugua (r) meets with the Korean delegation led by Mr. Jeong Jogfeon (2nd right) from the Korean Embassy and Mr. Yun Sukman (3rd right) a journalist from Korea. Seated to the Directors left is the KFS Deputy Director for Forest Conservation and Management Mr. Esau Omollo

The team accompanied by KFS officers pose for a picture at the Karura waterfalls

A delegation from the Korean Embassy comprising of Mr. Jeong Jogfeon – the Korean Deputy Permanent representative to UNEP and a journalist from the JoongAng Daily in Korea Mr. Yun Sukman recently visited the KFS headquarters in Karura to meet with the Director Mr. David Mbugua for discussions on the continuing forestry reforms.

The visitors were later toured the scenic Karura Forest which is increasing becoming a favorite stop over for international visitors thanks to its splendor and proximity to the city centre.

The delegation which will include the Korean Ambassador to Kenya H. E. Chan-Woo Kim will on 24^th August 2011 visit the Mau Forest. 

Article and pictures by Leakey Sonkoyo

KFS participates in timber and wood based products exhibition

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) joined the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) in the first exhibition organized to promote excellence and quality in timber products in line with vision 2030. The two day expo which started on 12^th August also saw other exhibitors including Raiply, Timsales, P.G.Bison, Crown Berger, Office Dynamics among others participating in the first ever expo on its kind.

The Acting Director for KEBS Mrs. Eva Odour thanked all exhibitors for participating and promised that her organisation will do its best to support the wood sector to improve quality of the locally processed timber products. 

The Acting Director for KEBS Mrs. Eva Oduor (center) samples some of the KFS IEC material at the Expo

 

Story by Caroline Kahuria. Pictures by Lydia Ogada

Misitu golf challenge goes to Karen Golf Club

A player participates in the 9th leg of Misitu Golf Challenge at Karen Golf Club

Industrialist Chris Kirubi receives his winners prize from the Acting Manager of Corporate Communications of the Kenya Forest Service Mr. Charles Ngunjiri

The 9^th round of Misitu Golf Challenge took place at Karen Country Club on 6^th August 2011, where an impressive number of 108 golfers battled it out for a place at the national finals to be held at Muthaiga Golf Club in January next year. The Captain of the Club Mr. David Tyrell welcomed Kenya Forest Service who were the sponsors of the day to the Club and pledged that he was going to mobilize his fellow members and golfers to plant more trees across the course to enable the initiative in its aim of planting 2.5 million seedlings by the year 2020.

The Challenge saw Dignitaries J.G. Kiereini, Chairman EABL, Christopher Kirubi of Capital Fm among others compete. Mr. Christopher Kirubi emerged the winner of the day with an impressive score of 43 points. In his interesting speech Mr. Kirubi thanked Kenya Forest Service for the noble initiative and urged everyone to join hands in increasing the forest cover in the country to avoid drought situation that the country was currently experiencing in parts of northern Kenya.

 
Story by Lydia Ogada and pictures by Caroline Kahuria