Saving Mau Forest

Mau is a forest complex in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. It is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa. The Mau Forest complex has an area of 273,300 hectares (675,000 acres) and has some of the highest rainfall rates in Kenya. Mau Forest is the largest water catchment area in Kenya among the 5 important water towers in the country. Numerous rivers originate from the forest, including Ewaso Nyiro River (southern), Sondu River, Mara River and Njoro River. These rivers feed Lake Victoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Natron (Uganda). Western slopes of the Mau Escarpment are covered by the Mau Forest. Kenya's Rift Valley has been undergoing rapid land cover change for the over two decades, which has resulted in ecological and hydrological changes.

Mau accounts for a large percentage of Kenya's forest cover. The forest has been traditionally inhabited by Ogiek people, whose hunter-gatherer lifestyle is sustainable. However, parts of the forest area have been continually cleared for settlement owing to migration and illegal schemes by individual. All detected destruction of indigenous forests between 2003 and 2005 took place in the Mau Complex in four forest blocks namely Maasai Mau forest (trust forest), Eastern Mau Forest Reserve, South West Mau Forest Reserve and Mt. Londiani Forest Reserve. This has continued since then and has seen the country's forest cover dwindling fast. Smartcitizens participated in the Tunza Mau program; a crucial undertaking that took place in different successful activities as outlined below.

Stakeholder Forums on Mau Forest
Six stakeholder forums were held to sensitize the community living around Mau on the need to conserve the forest and maintain positive relationship with those communities whose lifeline depends on the preservation of the forests. The meetings were envisaged to have fifty people per meeting but they were twice as big!
It was resolved overwhelmingly that the stakeholders present in the meeting influence local authorities bordering the forest to start conservation projects, the people living near the forest actively participate in conservation of the forest by starting income generating activities that are forest conservation friendly, institutions such as universities based near the forest sensitize the communities around them on the need to conserve the water tower. It was also resolved that citizens take lead in conservation efforts and in that way force the politicians to play a more positive role in conserving the forest.

What was the effect of the Forums?

The stakeholder forums made it easy to plan for baraza meetings

The stakeholders also influenced their political leaders into getting involved in conservation a case is such as Bosto Ecotourism camp who were given local authority support to continue conserving the western Mau part of the forest,

In Kuresoi constituency the Member of Parliament through influence of stakeholders has set aside constituency development funds to help in conservation efforts, he has also started a bamboo project where farmers grow the plant with hope of harvesting it responsibly without depleting forest cover.

Baraza Meetings
Six Baraza meetings were also held with a combined attendance of 2400 people. The aim was to get the conservation message out to a larger number of people. The large turnout indicated the positive attitude with which the conservation message was received. The baraza served for citizens to also contribute towards conservation. In most of this barazas the citizens contributed their own seedlings to be planted in the forest. The citizens' eagerness forced local politicians to attend the forums; in Konoin and Kuresoi constituency the area members of parliament attended the barazas. In Bomet District the mayor attended the baraza, the attendance by political leaders showed that when citizens are organized they can force their leaders to act responsibly. During the barazas a lot of information on forest conservation and benefits of peaceful coexistence was emphasized.

The Eye Opening Walk
It was held in Kericho area of Mau where the forest cover has been depleted leaving streams drying up. During the walk representatives of multinational tea companies also joined and emphasized the need for healthy forest cover to enable enough rainfall for the sake of tea. It was attended by 300 people. During the meeting the need for peaceful coexistence was also emphasized and the citizens responded positively.

Politicians have toned down in their hard-line stands regarding the Mau.

Members of Parliament, whose constituencies' border near Mau promised to be more actively involved in conservation efforts,

Bureti, Konoin Kuresoi and Chepalungu have an environmental component in their constituency development committee and the local authorities within their regions.

All these were very successful and have brought ongoing evident change in the conservation of Mau.