Villagers unite to fight illegal logging, charcoal burning in Tendeno Forest

Chief Conservator Of Forest Alex Lemarkoko together with Dr John Ngeno opens an office and rangers office constructed by Kutung residents - [Nikko Tanui-Standard]

Residents of Kutung in Kipkelion West Constituency have united to fight illegal logging, charcoal burning and other activities threatening Tendeno Forest, in a community-led effort to protect the vital natural resource.

Alarmed by the destruction of the forest, the residents have teamed up with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to strengthen surveillance and ensure the forest is protected from activities that threaten its survival.

The community, led by Dr John Ngeno, has constructed an office and houses for KFS rangers deployed to guard the forest.

The facilities were handed over to KFS during a ceremony attended by Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko, who commended the residents for taking an active role in forest conservation.

Dr Ngeno said the community had decided to take responsibility for protecting the forest after realising that its destruction would have far-reaching consequences for residents.

“We have realised that protecting Tendeno Forest cannot be left to forest officers alone. As a community living next to this forest, we have a responsibility to support the rangers and ensure that it is protected,” he said.

Mr Lemarkoko said the Forest Conservation and Management Act provides for community participation in forest conservation and management, allowing residents to play a direct role in safeguarding forests.

He said partnerships between KFS and communities living around forests were critical in ensuring that the resources are protected and sustainably managed.

Mr Lemarkoko added that the Kutung community stood to benefit from emerging opportunities such as future carbon-credit programmes, besides lawful user rights including grazing, beekeeping and access to water sources.

He challenged Dr Ngeno to consider adopting part of Tendeno Forest, saying KFS would be ready to partner with the local community in conserving it.

“The law provides for community participation in forest conservation and management. We want communities to take ownership of conservation because they are the people who live next to these forests,” Mr Lemarkoko said.

Joseph Langat said at least 50 residents who previously plundered forest resources had since changed their ways after coffee farming emerged as an alternative source of livelihood.

Mr Langat said some of the former forest users had been hired by coffee farmers led by Dr Ngeno to work on his farm, allowing them to earn an income without relying on forest resources.

“More residents neighbouring Tendeno Forest are realising that forest resources have to be protected and are shifting their focus to agricultural activities such as venturing into coffee farming,” he said.

The shift comes as Kericho emerges as one of the country’s new coffee-growing areas, with farmers recording significant earnings from the crop.

Data from the Nairobi Coffee Exchange shows that farmers from Kericho sold six million kilogrammes of clean coffee worth Sh5.9 billion in the 2024/25 coffee season, almost double the Sh2.61 billion earned in the previous season.

Dr Ngeno said the community was encouraging residents, particularly young people, to embrace farming and other sustainable economic activities as a way of reducing pressure on the forest.

“We want our people to understand that a protected forest can give us greater benefits in the long run than what we can gain from cutting down trees today. That is why we are encouraging our youth and other residents to venture into farming and other sustainable economic activities,” he said.

Hellen Biwott, a member of the Nyumba Kumi community policing initiative, said women would take a leading role in protecting the forest.

“Even when it comes to going to collect firewood, no one will be allowed to go to the forest with a machete but only to pick branches which have fallen off by themselves,” she said.

Youth groups in the area are also planning to establish tree nurseries as part of efforts to restore the forest and increase tree cover.

Alfred Koskei said the seedlings would be used to replant degraded sections of Tendeno Forest and distributed to residents to establish woodlots on their farms.

“We intend to establish tree nurseries where the seedlings will be used to populate the forest with more trees as well as distributed to residents to establish their own forests on their farms,” he said.

The community initiative is expected to complement KFS conservation efforts while creating alternative sources of livelihood for residents and reducing dependence on forest resources.

The residents said they would continue working with KFS to protect Tendeno Forest from illegal logging, charcoal burning and other destructive activities while ensuring that the community benefits from the forest through lawful and sustainable use.