The government has launched a four-year project to restore 100 hectares of degraded forest in Mbeu, Lower Imenti, Meru County, as part of efforts to protect water catchment areas and support hydropower generation.
Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi joined Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira during the launch of the Adopt a Forest Initiative, which will focus on rehabilitating damaged sections of Mbeu Forest.
The project will be carried out by the State Department for Energy in partnership with the local Community Forest Association (CFA). It is expected to improve the forest’s ability to retain water and support water flows into River Tana, which is important for hydropower production.
The latest project adds to restoration work already supported by the Energy Department in Meru County. The department has previously helped rehabilitate 419 hectares across Mbeu Phase I and II, Nyambene Hills, Kaunga Katakene, Mucheene in Buuri and Mweru-Biankure Hill.
Funding for the new project will come from the Kenya Energy Sector Environment and Social Responsibility Programme Fund (KEEP), which was established in 2007 to support tree growing, soil conservation and the protection of water catchment areas serving hydropower infrastructure.
Apart from restoring the forest, the project is expected to provide income opportunities for residents involved in activities such as preparing planting sites, putting in seedlings, weeding and protecting the restored areas.
Local tree nurseries will also benefit through the supply of seedlings needed for the exercise.
The initiative forms part of the government’s target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032 and increasing the country’s forest cover to 30 per cent.
It also brings together the State Departments for Forestry and Energy, local communities and other stakeholders in efforts to restore degraded land and protect water catchment areas.
Those who attended the launch included 15 Billion Trees National Secretariat CEO Felix Kisalu, Kenya Forest Service Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko and North Imenti MP Abdul Rahim Dawood.
