A community in Marsabit County has voluntarily taken up the role of protecting Mount Kulal Forest from destruction.
Through the Community Forest Association (CFA) group locally known as 'wazee wa mazingira,' — the community that neighbours Mt Kulal forest ensures that the forest remains intact and the rich biodiversity is not interfered with.
Joseph Lenges, a CFA committee member said the forest has been a source of rain for the community, and they also get medicine and honey.
He said Mt Kulal is regarded as a sacred forest and elders hold different cultural events there.
“During cultural events such as the marking of age sets, elders come to the forest and a sheep is slaughtered under a fig ‘mugumo’ tree. The elders also hold events during drought periods, or when there are conflicts or insecurity issues," Kenges said.
"They even made sacrifices and prayers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sheep, honey and milk are offered during these celebrations."
He added that nobody is allowed to cut down trees and if one must do this or harvest honey, he must get permission from the elders.
“The elders have been protecting the forest since 1963. This is a unique forest in that it has been under the community’s protection since I can remember. But the government has now stepped in to support our conservation work,” he said.
“We hope the future generation will also protect the forest as the elders have been doing."
Shukri Wamuro is also a CFA member of the wazee wa mazingira group and also acts as a tour guide of Mt Kulal forest.
He said the forest is a tourist attraction because it is the only forest in Kenya where you can get the Kulal White-eye ‘Zosterops kulalensis.’
There is also a unique chameleon- Chamaeleo Narraioca. Narraioca in Samburu means chameleon.
Research shows that the Chamaeleo (Trioceros) narraioca inhabits the humid montane evergreen forest on Mt Kulal in the Northern Frontier Division of Kenya, and no representatives of this genus have been previously recorded.
Wamuro said the community has voluntarily taken up the role of conserving the forest for their livelihood, and they are passing that on to the young generation.
Mt Kulal has been recognised by UNESCO as one of the unique forests with a rich biodiversity hence the need to protect it.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) of the United Nations with the Government of Kenya has come in to address the challenges of environmental deforestation and degradation.
This is under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project known as the restoration of arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) of Kenya through bio-enterprise development.
Meshack Muga, the National Project Coordinator at FAO said the project is focusing on the restoration of arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya through bio enterprises and other initiatives.
The project is focusing on two forest landscapes including Mukogondo Forest- a government forest in Laikipia county and Mt Kulal Forest.
“Mt Kulal forest is well conserved by (wazee wa mazingira) who are keen on the management and conservation of this forest. This is a clear case study on how a community can conserve and manage a forest in a sustainable way,” he said.
FAO has supported the development of the participatory forest management plan which has been done in collaboration with Kenya Forest Service, Marsabit county government, the local community and the National Museums of Kenya.
Muga explained that the plan is geared towards helping in the management and conservation of Mt Kulal forest.
“It outlines various steps and activities that the community together with the key stakeholders are going to undertake so that the forest is managed in a sustainable manner. This will also help in conserving biodiversity,” he said.
Mt Kulal forest is a critical water source for Lake Turkana and the local community. The 5,000-hectare forest is covered with indigenous trees.
“We are collaborating with the community to support the water system in the forest,” Muga said.
He said the elders under the wazee wa mazingira initiative have played a key role in preserving the biodiversity of the forest.
You walk in the forest and can be able to see dead woods and nobody interferes with the forest.
Muga said the project is also coming up with a non-timber forest products and services strategy.
This is because within these forests, apart from the timber which most people are interested in, there are non-timber forest products.
These include medicines, honey and other bee products, gums and dressings that are within the landscape and the strategy will help in promoting non-timber forest products that are currently not being utilised.
Patel Muiruri, a research scientist from the National Museum of Kenya said they have been working in Mt Kulal from the early 60s to 80s.
“Initially we started working under a UNESCO project where we did an intense biodiversity survey. We later followed up with other activities," Muiruri said.
"Mt Kulal forest is inhabited by the Samburu community and we have been documenting their culture in relation to the forest. The community uses the forest for their cultural events and they are defined by the forest."
Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, Marsabit County, Environment and climate change chief officer said the county has signed the CFA Management Plan of Mt Kulal which gives power to the CFA on managing the forest.
“This is the second CFA we have signed, the other one is with the Tsavo community association. We are also sensitising people on climate change, impacts and how to mitigate,” Ismail said during the signing of the CFA Management Plan at Mt Kulal.
Patrick Mugi from FAO said they are also working with the Mt Kulal community to promote agroforestry to help to reduce the pressure on the forest.
“With agroforestry, the community can be able to get food and nutrition. It also helps in provision of wood fuels on firewood. This reduces the time women go to correct firewood in the forest hence saving their time away from home," Mugi said.
"Agroforestry is also being used as a source of food for the livestock as the trees can be used as animal feed, especially during the dry season."