Kenya: The restoration of Chepalungu Forest marked a significant milestone as the County Government of Bomet in partnership with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) for a tree-planting exercise at Kapchumbe Block, Lelbarak village. This initiative serves as a recovery effort following the extensive human destruction that ravaged the forest in 2007.
The exercise was led by Governor – Prof. Hillary Barchok and County Forest Conservator for Bomet – Nicholas Baari. They emphasised the urgency of environmental conservation. This collaborative project is a core component of Bomet’s ambitious ecological roadmap, which seeks to expand the county’s tree cover to 30%.
Through the department of Water Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, this collaborative conservation aims to revive the local ecosystem, protect water towers and combat climate change, by securing a greener and more sustainable future for the community. Nearly, 5005 assorted indigenous seedlings were planted.
Earlier, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) hosted a delegation from the State Department for Irrigation for a benchmarking visit to the KFS Information Centre, as part of ongoing plans to establish a National Irrigation Information Centre.
The delegation was received by Senior Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests for Forest Conservation and Management – Dr. Ngoriareng, who is representing the CCF. They were led by Irrigation Secretary – Eng. Vincent Kabuti, OGW, Director for Land Reclamation and Climate Resilience – Thandi Githae, and Lead of the Global Informatics Unit at the World Bank Group – Dr. Poolad Karimi.
Notably, the discussions focused on opportunities for collaboration in water resource mapping, by understanding the water cycle and supporting tree cover restoration in ASAL areas through integrated information systems and climate resilience approaches.
The session was further led by Manager for Quality Assurance and Risk Management – Benedict Omondi. GIS/RS Officer – Alice Katunge provided an overview of the structure and functions of the Forest Information Management Units. He highlighted how they support projects across KFS.
Later, the delegation toured the Forest Information Labs and the Command Centre, where Fire Department Project Manager – Ithinji, demonstrated the fire monitoring systems and technologies used by KFS to support forest protection and rapid response. The engagement also reinforced the importance of partnerships, data-driven systems, and institutional collaboration in advancing sustainable natural resource management and climate resilience initiatives.