37 / 100
37
The Government of Kenya has also committed to a
plan to establish a Mau Forest Complex Authority to
coordinate and oversee the management of the area
(GoK, 2009).
Eviction of illegal settlers: The relocation of people
from the forest by the Kenyan Government is highly
controversial and has resulted in social and political
conflict. On the one hand, indigenous people are
very attached to the land, which they consider part of
their ancestral legacy, and have fought for ownership
rights; on the other hand, the Government’s plan to
relocate and compensate people living in the area is
seen as a means of reducing pressure on the land and
restoring the forest.
Lessons learned
There are a number of lessons relating to
environmental concerns and policy arrangements
for the Mau Forest:
• Ad hoc arrangements and the mismanagement of
established plans have led to the loss of a large part
of the Mau Forest complex;
• Relocating indigenous communities should be
carefully managed to avoid social and political
conflict; and
• The Mau Forest is a water tower of international
importance that needs attention at both the local
and international level.
Recommendations
In recognition of the importance of the Mau Forest
complex, the Government of Kenya has introduced
a package of policies and rules to support sustainable
management of the forest, but more consideration
is needed in how these policies are implemented
and how the local communities can be involved in
rehabilitation activities.
Recommendations include:
• Improving collaboration between all stakeholders
with an interest in the Mau Forest landscape in
order to sustain the rehabilitation of the forest;
• Enhancing efforts to institutionalize governance
systems by enhancing the Mau Forest Complex
Authority and harmonizing strategic plans
and actions;
• Carefully involving local communities in
restoration activities; and
• All stakeholders in the region should advocate
for the protection of the Mau Forest complex in
its role as an important water tower for the East
Africa region.
Ostriches in Samburu, Kenya