Murkomen unveils 10-year plan to restore Cherangany Hills ecosystem

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has unveiled a 10-year plan to restore the degraded Cherangany Hills ecosystem, warning that continued environmental damage in the region poses a serious threat to lives, livelihoods and key water sources.

Speaking on Friday during a partners’ briefing ahead of the programme’s official launch, Murkomen said the initiative seeks to rehabilitate forests, secure water catchments and create jobs, as the government steps up efforts to reverse years of environmental destruction.

He described the Cherangany Hills as one of the country’s most important ecological zones, noting that it is “one of Kenya's five critical water towers” and covers 414,928 hectares across Elgeyo-Marakwet, West Pokot, Trans-Nzoia and Uasin Gishu counties.

The CS cautioned that human activities have steadily degraded the ecosystem, triggering far-reaching environmental and social impacts.

“Over time, the ecosystem has been degraded by unregulated human activities, resulting in loss of lives and livelihoods, biodiversity loss, and recurring landslides,” he said.

Murkomen revealed that the scale of degradation is already alarming, with large sections of the ecosystem affected.

“Currently, 15% of the ecosystem is severely degraded, while 67% is moderately degraded,” he noted, adding that “41,547 hectares of forest cover and 76,757 hectares of grassland have been lost.”

To address the crisis, the government has rolled out a comprehensive recovery plan dubbed the Cherangany Hills Ecosystem Restoration for Livelihood Improvement, Sustainability and Harmony programme.

“To save lives, restore livelihoods and safeguard this invaluable yet threatened resource, we came up with the Cherangany Hills Ecosystem Restoration for Livelihood Improvement, Sustainability and Harmony (CHERISH) programme,” Murkomen said.

He explained that the programme is “a ten-year, strategic intervention anchored on H.E. the President's 15 Billion Tree Agenda,” and is designed to repair damaged ecosystems while improving the well-being of surrounding communities.

Under the plan, the government targets to rehabilitate tens of thousands of hectares of degraded land, protect key water sources and create jobs for young people.

“We seek to restore 62,038 hectares of highly degraded escarpments and riparian land, protect 20 springs and secure our water towers, and create 500,000 green jobs for our youth in bee-keeping, agro-forestry, and eco-tourism,” he said.

Murkomen said the success of the programme will rely on joint efforts from government agencies, communities and development partners, describing it as a whole-of-society approach to conservation.

The CHERISH programme is set to be officially launched on May 22, 2026, in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, in line with the International Day of Biodiversity.

“We will launch the CHERISH programme officially on May 22, 2026, in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, a day that coincides with the International Day of Biodiversity,” he announced.

He added that activities leading up to the launch will include a conservation event aimed at raising awareness and encouraging public participation.

“The launch will be preceded by the inaugural Cherangany Conservation Run on May 21, 2026, in the same county,” he added.

The briefing brought together senior government officials, development partners and environmental stakeholders, highlighting the broad support behind the initiative.

Among those present were Environment CS Deborah Barasa, Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich and Senator William Kisang, alongside Members of Parliament and principal secretaries.

Murkomen also recognised the backing of several organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme, Equity Group Holdings, KCB Group, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the World Resources Institute.

Others supporting the programme are the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, World Wide Fund for Nature, Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Forest Service.

He stressed that sustained partnerships will be key in restoring ecosystems, protecting water towers and strengthening climate resilience, noting that long-term cooperation will determine the programme’s success.