Over 800 Homes Get Piped Water as Greening Kaptagat Project Unveiled

Posted on 20 March 2022

Greening Kaptagat project is set to benefit over 1,000 people living in the Kaptagat Forest landscape in Elgeyo-Marakwet and Uasin Gishu counties.

Thousands of local community members joined in the race to save the Kaptagat Forest at William Murgor Primary School in Elgeyo-Marakwet County where the UK-PACT funded Greening Kaptagat project was launched.

The project will see over 1,000 people living around the forest reap big through the establishment of agroforestry and clean energy solutions within the forest-based landscape, with over 1,000 hectares of deforested and degraded land under restoration.

Its overall goal is to tackle climate change by addressing carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and unsustainable agricultural practices.

During the launch presided over by Dr Chris Kiptoo, Principal Secretary, Environment and Forestry Ministry, WWF-Kenya unveiled the Kapkoi solar-powered water tank project, providing a steady flow of water to over 800 Kaptagat residents.

“The UK is proud to partner with WWF, the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, and the Government of Kenya to Green Kaptagat – turning pledges at #COP26 into action on the ground. This project will help Kenya achieve its vision of 10% tree cover by 2030, and provide new green jobs in the local area,” said Mr. Mike Foster - The Head of Mutual Prosperity and Climate Change, at the British High Commission in Nairobi during the launch on 9th February 2022.

Speaking at the project unveiling, Mohamed Awer, the WWF-Kenya Chief Executive Officer said: "If we don’t move from commitment to action, the pledges we made in Glasgow at COP26, will remain just that - commitments. So the Greening Kaptagat project will not only enhance the resilience of communities and ecosystems against climate change but will provide Nature-Based Solutions for improved livelihoods and sustainable energy.”

The Kaptagat landscape is part of the Cherangany-Elgeyo Hills Ecosystem, an important water tower in Kenya which has over 286 springs feeding into Kerio and Nzoia Rivers. The two rivers drain into Lake Turkana and Lake Victoria respectively.

WWF-UK, a key WWF-Kenya partner, was represented at the launch by Dr. Mike Barrett, Executive Director, Conservation and Science, and Helen Gibbons, Head of Conservation Programmes. Other key partners and government agencies that participated in the launch included Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Water Towers Agency and Kenya Research Forestry Institute.

From left: Mike Foster, Head of Mutual Prosperity and Climate, British High Commission Nairobi, Mohamed Awer, WWF-Kenya CEO, Dr Chris Kiptoo, PS Ministry of Environment and Forestry, James Murgor, Keiyo North MP, Dr Mike Barrett, Executive Director for Science and Conservation, WWF-UK. PHOTO | WWF-Kenya