Environment Cabinet Secretary Debora Barasa has opposed calls to remove the protected status of Mukogodo Forest Reserve, warning that such a move would threaten a vital ecological area and weaken ongoing conservation efforts.
She told Members of Parliament on Thursday that the forest plays a key role in water supply, biodiversity, and climate resilience, making its protection a national priority.
Barasa appeared before the National Assembly Public Petitions Committee, chaired by Muchangi Karemba, to respond to a petition presented by Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere on behalf of residents of Il Ngwesi and the Yaaku community.
The petition seeks to de-gazette the forest to give local communities greater control over land they say they have historically occupied and protected.
The Cabinet Secretary highlighted that Mukogodo Forest covers about 30,189 hectares and has been legally protected since it was first designated a forest reserve in 1937 and formally gazetted in 1964.
She noted that the forest contains a mix of woodland, grassland, and natural forest ecosystems that support wildlife and sustain multiple rivers and springs, which are essential to surrounding communities.
“We must protect the Mukogodo forest as it plays a vital role of water catchment and climate change particularly as it neighbours Arid and Semi-Arid lands. Presently we only have a forest cover of 5% and if we are to achieve our objective of having 30% forest cover by 2030 then we cannot de-gazette,” Dr. Barasa said.
While acknowledging the historical presence of communities around the forest, ministry officials warned that lifting the forest’s protected status could expose it to environmental degradation.
Principal Secretary for the State Department of Forestry Gitonga Mugambi cautioned that allowing communities to take control of protected forests could put other forest areas at risk.
“We must be careful because all forests have communities around them that can lay claim to them. If we allow de-gazettement of protected forests and leave it to the communities, we risk putting our country in danger of losing our green spaces and that will be detrimental to our survival,” he said.
The ministry proposed an alternative approach in which the forest is jointly managed by the Kenya Forest Service and the local community. Forest Development Officer George Tarrus explained that a Participatory Forest Management Plan could enable residents to benefit from the forest while contributing to its protection.
Petitioners, however, argue that gazettement has limited access to land they consider part of their cultural heritage. They said past insecurity and banditry forced them to leave sections of the forest, which later allowed illegal settlements and environmental damage to occur.
Lawmakers also questioned reports of government facilities within the forest. Committee Vice Chairperson Janet Sitienei asked, “If it is indeed true that the Il Ngwesi and the Yaaku communities have not been living in the forest, then why is it that there are government schools and institutions that are located inside the forest?”
Baringo Central MP Joshua Kandie urged the ministry to establish a clear framework that allows communities to participate in conservation while maintaining access to their land.
The committee will continue reviewing the petition before preparing its report and recommendations to Parliament.
