Mt. Elgon forest cover restoration to serve as peace mission to enhance unity

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry has mapped out for a restoration exercise the degraded Mt. Elgon, which adds to the country’s vital water towers.

The forest cover restoration exercise on the Mt. Elgon landscape is targeted at peace building, shielding the community lifeline and heritage.

“Mt. Elgon has suffered the effects of deforestation and unsustainable land use practices, leading to declining water levels and reduced ecosystem services - reminding us that the cost of environmental destruction is too high to bear,” said Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Barasa.

“In response, the ministry has designated November 7, 2025 as Mt. Elgon Day, to rally various stakeholders, partners, conservationists, and local communities towards the conservation and protection of this vital ecosystem.”

The Mt. Elgon landscape covers 172,095 ha of the gazetted forest areas, national park and the adjacent farmlands. It is located in the Western part of Kenya in between Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties, bordering Uganda, approximately 140 kilometers North East of Lake Victoria.

The forest restoration exercise of key areas in Kenya has taken the approach of adoption and patronage by government officials who, in one way or another, have special connection to the said areas to facilitate easy community and other stakeholder engagement.

Responsibility to restore Mt. Elgon has landed on State Department of Mining Principal Secretary Dr. Harry Kimtai who hails from Mt. Elgon. Just a few months ago, Environment and Climate Change PS Festus Ng’eno was tasked to lead the Mau Forest landscape restoration exercise from the Nakuru side.

According to Forestry PS Mugambi Gitonga, in the past there has been disjointed conservation efforts from multiple stakeholders, hence the need to change approach.

“To improve efficiency and coordination, the ministry has designated Mr. Harry Kimtai, Principal Secretary for State Department for Mining as the patron. Being a local he understands the challenges facing the region, and we expect him to offer sustainable, locally driven solutions,” PS Gitonga said.

PS Kimtai said: “As a resident of Mt. Elgon, after a lot of pressure in Nairobi, I go for fresh-air on the mountain top, the reason I cannot relocate from the mountain. The 10 years programme has some expectation of integrating plants, I have a target of 103 hectares, I am counting on your support.”

The programme targets to rehabilitate 103,000 hectares - comprising 35,000 hectares of the degraded Mt. Elgon Forest blocks and 68,000 hectares of degraded adjacent farmlands -with an annual target to grow 10 million trees.

In attendance during the Mt. Elgon restoration plan launch were various stakeholders, among them the Kenyan mining representatives who pledged full support in the Kenya forest cover restoration agenda.

Mining companies have been on the receiving end, being accused of deforestation, habitat destruction among other environmental inequities.

Human activities like forest encroachment and deforestation, over tilling and excessive grazing have contributed to degradation of the Mt. Elgon Forest cover over years. This has exposed the biodiversity to unpredictable weather conditions, which have also forced communities on the mountain top to look for alternative ways of surviving climate crisis effects.

The10-year (2025–2035) Mt. Elgon restoration programme is estimated to cost Ksh.10.1 billion, targeting to bring together previously disjointed efforts.

The exercise banks on different stakeholders for various resources; from local communities, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the County Governments of Bungoma and Trans Nzoia, the private sector, development partners, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), conservationists, among other stakeholders.

Mt. Elgon restoration efforts are anchored on the government’s 2022-2032, 15 billion trees campaign that promotes community-led landscape restoration and climate smart enterprises.

Mt. Elgon is a home to the now endangered unique species of Mt. Elgon Chameleon, giant lobelia plant and the unique geological and ecological features like Kitum caves.

Mt. Elgon was designated as the second transboundary biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2023, boasting annual total economic value estimated at Ksh.115 billion.