- It was a hideout for resistors to colonialism and today the 35 acres in Baringo is managed by communities
- Unusual herbs grow there and pharmaceutical companies want to explore for new drugs for emerging diseases
Kamgoin Community Conservancy is one of the smallest biodiversity treasures in the country.
The conservancy, four kilometres from Kabarnet, covers only 35 acres in Kapropita ward, Baringo county.
Conservancy chairman Luka Komen said before it was created, the biodiversity hotspot was a forest owned by clans.
“The clans included Kaborgibir, Kapchemngorim, Kapkurware and Kapcheptogoch. The clans resolved to preserve the forest for their cultural purposes and use,” Komen said.
The clans had elders who were chosen to look after and safeguard the resource on behalf of other members.
It was also a hiding place for locals who were not happy with, and resisting, colonial rule.
Komen said in 2010, Kamgoin community conservancy was formed and registered under the ministry of social services.
It relies on a harmonious blend of conservation and community sustainability. There are 120 active members in the conservancy and 672 from the community.
The conservancy is surrounded by the Tugen community, which primarily relies on agriculture, including small-scale crop farming, livestock and beekeeping.
It features a pristine forest with indigenous trees and diverse wildlife. Visitors can enjoy a range of ecotourism activities, such as bird watching, honey harvesting, hiking and nature trails.
Some of the indigenous tree species include red cedar, sandalwood, and fig trees, which provide essential habitat for the endangered white and black Colobus monkeys.
Within the county, African oak and sandalwood remain the most threatened indigenous trees. Some of the indigenous trees are between 300 and 500 years old.
The forest is also home to wildlife such as warthogs, honey badgers, a variety of snakes, vervet monkeys, and a diverse range of birds, including eagles and hornbills.
Some of the attractions include Kaperkee View Point, Kipkoror View Point, and the Cliff and Cherongo scenic areas. The forest is also a source of water.
Different rates are charged to access the conservancy; non-citizen adults pay $20, while non-citizen children aged between 12 and 17 pay Sh300.
Adult citizens pay Sh250, children and students are charged Sh100, while primary school pupils pay Sh50.
The conservancy was initially huge, Komen said, but it was hived off to some institutions including Bible College and Baringo National Polytechnic.
Due to the history of the forest, the community decided to conserve it for posterity by making it a conservancy.
The conservancy has user groups that include women and men.
“Women and youth tend to have tree nurseries,” he said.
Men tend beehives beloved by honey badgers.
With the help of the county government, they have propagated coffee seedlings and were provided with around 9,000 seeds.
A portion of the forest has been fenced off, allowing natural regeneration.
Plans are in place to construct Tugen cottages and a place for customary activities such as traditional circumcision for boys.
For revenue, women from the community also source herbs from the conservancy, which help with the management and treatment of various ailments.
These include diabetes, tonsils, the common cold and diarrhoea, among others.
Sarah Kiprop is one of them.
“I’m a herbalist for children aged 3 weeks,” Kiprop said.
From six months onwards, she gives another dose of herbs to children struggling to cut milk teeth. There are also herbs given to contain allergies in children, Kiprop said.
The herbal medicine trade is passed from generation to generation, the women reveal.
Esther Jepkurui, a naturalist, trail guide, and herbalist, said she knows all the herbs, but since she is not of age, cannot be allowed to dispense.
“I inherited from my grandmother, though I’m not allowed to dispense the herbs to those ailing because of my age.”
Jepkurui said she is only sent to the forest to look for the herbs.
“There is an age when one is allowed to dispense herbs to the sick. I’m still young.”
Only those who are done with giving birth are allowed to dispense herbs to the sick.
The impacts of climate change have made finding some of the herbs an uphill task.
Jonathan Kiplagat, a herbal practitioner for more than 15 years, said herbal treatments have helped many people.
“We utilise over 200 species of trees. Baringo is a county of great diversity,” Kiplagat said.
There are herbs to help children build immunity and help the body fight attacks.
He said capacity building has contributed to their success in the trade.
Kiplagat said the community is jealously guarding some of the trees that are at risk of going extinct, yet they are needed for medicine.
Image: Gilbert Koech
Baringo County Conservancies Association CEO Susan Jepkemoi said they are keen to work with conservancies to conserve and sustainably manage indigenous plants.
“From time immemorial, our communities have really kept indigenous knowledge, and they are trying to transfer it from generation to generation,” Jepkemoi said.
Communities are developing associations and trying to document and avoid the loss of indigenous knowledge. BCCA is an umbrella organisation for community conservancies in the county.
“The conservancy model comes in handy to be able to further their efforts in terms of conserving and ensuring that this rich diversity of plants within Baringo flourishes and helps improve health and livelihoods,” Jepkemoi said.
BCCA acts as a collective voice for conservancies and advocates favourable policies, building local capacity and providing a platform for collaboration.
The Nature Conservancy supports BCCA to ensure that conservancies are well managed and well funded.
Jepkemoi said the community uses the herbs sustainably.
The Association helps conservancies identify critical species that are endangered and protect them for sustainable use.
“The Endorois community has been able to come up with a bio-cultural protocol to be able to ensure there is good access and equitable and sustainable utilisation of these natural resources within their area,” Jepkemoi said.
The protocol is being promoted among the Tugen, Pokot, and other cultures.
Jepkemoi said they also encourage communities to have tree nurseries and harvest seeds from indigenous trees.
Communities can make income from selling seeds and propagating them in tree nurseries to support the country’s effort to plant 15 billion trees.
Some pharmaceutical companies have approached them and want to enter into agreements with on the utilisation of herbs due to the emergence of many complicated diseases.
The move seeks to identify new molecules to advance the industry and develop new drugs.
It is up to communities to agree or not to their terms, Jepkemoi said.