500 ha set for restoration during 9th Edition of Kaptagat restoration programme

The Forestry Principal Secretary (PS) Mugambi Gitonga and his National Treasury counterpart, Dr Chris Kiptoo, who is also the patron for the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme, kicked off planning for the 9th edition of the annual tree-growing drive. 

About 500 hectares are set to be put under restoration in the Kaptagat forest ecosystem, announced Dr Kiptoo, who co-chaired the high-level planning meeting held in Nairobi on 8 April. 

They were joined by PSs Jonathan Mueke (Livestock), Ephantus Kimotho (Irrigation), and Ummi Bashir (Culture), who pledged support for the initiative. The drive is part of the 10-year Kaptagat Integrated Restoration and Livelihoods Improvement Programme, themed "Delivering a 10-Year Vision through a One Km - One Acre, One Cow Initiative."

The multi-stakeholder programme is expected to benefit 28,000 forest-adjacent households. These households will be supported to acquire at least one high-yielding dairy cow, put one acre of land under a cash crop and pasture, and benefit from solar lighting connections and biogas energy.

Launched in 2024 during the 8th edition of the Kaptagat Tree Growing Drive, the Kaptagat Integrated Restoration and Livelihoods Improvement Programme brings together several community-focused elements under a unified approach. While 'Pesa Mfukoni' aims to enhance household incomes through livestock breed improvement and cash crop farming on one-acre plots, supported by initiatives like Serkon—the Cow Hotel—'Kawi Safi Nyumbani' promotes clean energy through biogas and solar lighting at the household level.

At the same time, 'Maji Nyumbani' focuses on domestic and agricultural water access, through borehole drilling, dam construction and solarisation, last-mile supply, and the installation of storage tanks. Meanwhile, 'Mazingira Safi' reinforces climate action through on-farm carbon projects, forest block fencing, and restoration of degraded catchments, including those on farmlands. The integration of these components seeks to simultaneously support livelihoods, promote environmental stewardship, and drive local economic growth.

“We are calling it 1 cow, 1 acre and 1 cash crop so that in each family, we are improving the breed of the animals, there is a cash crop and there is green energy. We will do an exhibition later in the year. Tulisema ‘Pesa Mfukoni’ so we have to take the people to the market. We want to see true empowerment of the communities,” said Dr Kiptoo.

Livestock Development PS Jonathan Mueke pledged support for this year’s initiative, highlighting the impact the project has had on the restoration of nature and the empowerment of local people through increased income.

“This is a transformative project. We were part of it last year. We supplied heifers. We saw productivity go up, with beneficiaries saying they used to collect three litres a day and now they are collecting 20 litres. With the price of a litre of milk being 50 Kenya Shillings, that is a big impact for households. The initiative creates jobs, puts money in people’s pockets, and we are able to see not just conservation of the environment but also the growth of the economy in that region," said PS Mueke.

So far, about 95% of the degraded Kaptagat Forest has been restored. Tree planting is expected to take place in the remaining 80 hectares during the 9th edition, proposed for July.

Reflecting on the broader benefits of the initiative, Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho said, “After doing the conservation, it is important for the community to see the benefits which come with that. Initially, it was a conservation project, and now it is focusing on water harvesting downstream. We are now able to harvest more water. We have done nine dams in Uasin Gishu County and quite a number in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, and it is because of the work that has been done upstream in Elgeyo-Marakwet. It is a wholly integrated programme.”

He added, “In the next three months, we will work towards ensuring the dams are completed and last-mile connectivity is done so that by the time the communities receive seeds, they will be assured of water access.”

In addition to tree planting and distributing high-yield cows, the 9th edition will also feature cultural exhibitions, forest runs, and a cycling competition.

Planned with support from Athletics Kenya and Golazo, the Kaptagat Forest Run will feature family fun activities and races of 5km, 10km, and 21km. The cycling competition will cover a challenging 93km route with an elevation gain of 1,693m. Notably, Golazo was instrumental in the launch of the Kevin Kiptum Foundation during the 8th Kaptagat event last year.

“We have seen the evolution of this process. It started from tree planting to where we are now, which is an integrated conservation programme. The Kaptagat restoration and livelihood improvement programme is the best example of what can be achieved by a whole-of-government, whole-of-partners approach,” said Mohamed Awer, CEO of WWF-Kenya.

So far, WWF-Kenya has invested KSh 9 million in capacity building for the Kaptagat Community Forest Associations, the purchase of crossbreed cows, indigenous tree seedlings, and the installation of biogas units.

Forestry PS Gitonga also pledged support for the initiative, emphasizing that tree planting is not just about the environment but also about creating wealth and jobs.

“Forests and trees are not just about timber. In South Africa, forests have created wealth. The best high-quality clothes are coming from trees. South Africa has taken advantage of that demand and is exporting wood chips to Japan,” said PS Gitonga.

In 2024, the programme distributed 35 crossbreed heifers to community members. These were sourced by WWF-Kenya from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization and the Agricultural Development Corporation.

During the same edition, President William Ruto led the tree-growing drive and launched Etio Dam while commissioning Yogot Dam, benefiting approximately 15,000 farmers.

Additionally, Kaptagat residents received 50,000 Hass variety avocado seedlings, 30,000 tea plants, and 2,500 coffee plants.

Since the inception of the Kaptagat Tree Growing Initiative in 2017, a total of 2,737.05 hectares have been put under restoration.

The high-level planning committee meeting for the 9th edition was also attended by heads and representatives of various agencies and partners, including the Kenya Forest Service, Athletics Kenya, Golazo Sports Agency, Capital Markets Authority, Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board, and WWF-Kenya.