Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has adopted a twenty-hectares site within Mau Forest complex towards restoration of the largest water catchment natural resource.
This was revealed by Nakuru County Deputy Governor David Kones on Friday October 24 during the inaugural Mau Conservation Marathon 2025 in Kuresoi.
The move is in line with Kihika’s passion for matters environment conservation.
Under her administration, the County Government of Nakuru has also been able to plant 750,000 tree and fruit seedlings since the tree planting initiative by the government commenced.
According to Kihika, this efforts are in line with National Government’s move to conserve Mau Complex.
It should be noted that the government started the Mau Forest Complex Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme(MFC-ICLIP).
This is a A 10-year program with estimated Kshs 21.5 Billion.
It targets Eastern, Molo, Western and South West Blocks of Mau Complex and the adjacent farmlands covering 317,115 ha.
MFC-ICLIP aligns with Kenya’s Global and Regional commitments, including the SDGs(1,2,6,7,8,12,13,15), the AFR100 initiative under which Kenya has pledged to restore 5.1 million Ha by 2030, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC).
At the National level, the Programme is aligned with the Vision 2030, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs), National Climate Change Action Plan(NCCAP) and the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy aimed at growing 15 Billion trees by 2032, across degraded landscapes.
“The Mau complex forest is an ecological powerhouse that provides clean air, water and fertile soils. Deforestation, illegal logging and invasion have continued to mess the Forest. We need to join hands in addressing the same,” stated Kihika.
She reiterates the need for sustainable livelihoods through the true conservation that starts at grassroots enabling ownership by community led conservation groups