As parliament prepares to look at a bill on climate change mitigation and adaptation, Kenyans are having their say
By Isaiah Esipisu
NAROK, Kenya – Jacky Nkoyo recalls the thick canopy of trees that formed the Mau forest near her village of Eor-enkitok.
“We used to play close to the forest, where we picked and ate wild berries, picked firewood and played with monkeys,” she says.
The 27-year-old, a member of the Maasai people, also has childhood memories of the herbs and wild fruits that her father used to gather in the forest, 250 km (150 miles) west of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
But in the space of fewer than 20 years the surroundings have undergone rapid change, which the Kenyan government is now trying to mitigate through legislation.
“The better part of the forest neighbouring our village is now littered with houses. Instead of trees, all one can see are plantations of wheat,” said Nkoyo, at a recent forum in Narok on draft climate change legislation in Kenya.
The country’s 2010 constitution requires that all Kenyans have the opportunity to see bills before they are voted on by parliament. As part of that process, a draft bill on climate change adaptation and mitigation is now being discussed in communities around Kenya.
The discussions, led by the Kenya Climate Change Working Group, have mined a deep vein of traditional knowledge about the region’s forests, pastureland and waterways, and collected a range of views on what should be done to address climate-related problems in Kenya, including worsening drought and widespread deforestation.
Nkoyo, who represented Maasai youth at the forum, wants the upcoming law to mandate the relocation of those who have encroached on forest land, or to require them to grow trees as well as crops on arable land.
She says that the consequences of clearing the forest for settlement have combined with the effects of climate change to devastate her home region.
“My father had a fish pond closer to the forest, but it has since dried up. Nearly all the seasonal streams that emanated from the forest have also gone dry,” she said. Wheat production on the family farm also has dropped by half, she said.
Concerns about the lack of rainfall are widespread in Narok County. Simon Ole Nosoro, a pastoralist from Ewaso-nyiro village in the south of the county, said climate change is producing serious problems.
“The entire Narok South is semi-arid. Hence we mainly depend on livestock keeping. But in the past few years we have experienced (worse) drought than ever before,” said Ole Nosoro, who has lost hundreds of animals to drought in the past three years.
“In order to survive, we have to trek long distances in search for pastures. This has a huge impact on our children’s education because we have to discontinue (their schooling) when migrating,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ewaso-nyiro River, which cuts across Narok South, is drying up.
“Some time ago, this river used to overflow, especially when it rained. Yet this has become a historic tale that our children will only hear about,” Ole Nosoro said.
Residents also are worried about deforestation. Some would like the new legislation to make it a crime to fell any tree without first consulting the Kenya Forest Service. They also want all people with arable land, especially in Narok North, to intercrop whatever they grow with trees.
“It is important to note that most people who destroy our forest cover are foreigners to Narok County. This is because trees are sacred among the entire Maasai community, and we have traditional customs that are very protective of them,” said Kimaren Ole Riamit, director of Indigenous Livelihoods Enhancement Partners, a community-based organization.
Maasai culture forbids cutting down a whole tree for firewood, or interfering with the taproots or removing the entire bark of trees used for herbal products. Only branches may be chopped off for firewood, and fibrous roots and small portions of bark removed. The Maasai fill any gap in tree bark with wet soil, which they believe assists in healing it.
“These are traditional methods of conservation that should be converted into law to be observed by the entire country. If they have worked for the Maasai community, it means they can work elsewhere,” said Ole Riamit.
These methods have helped preserve the indigenous Loita Forest in Narok North, he said. The forest is protected by the Laibon clan, which uses it as a shrine.
“Some of these views are extremely important for (mitigating the effects of) climate change,” said John Kioli, convenor of the Climate Change Working Group. “We are collecting them so that they can be considered when redrafting the bill before it is presented to lawmakers.”
Isaiah Esipisu is a freelance science writer based in Nairobi.
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