It’s fourteen years since Wangai Maathai passed on but her legacy still inspires many. And as the World marks World Wildlife Day, the African Union (AU), driven by the legacy of the late Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, efforts to integrate sustainable environmental practices into its development agenda gears up.
To this end, The Green Belt Movement, in collaboration with the Conservation Alliance of Kenya, jointly commemorated the legacy of the late Professor Wangari Maathai.
In the event focused on environmental conservation in respect to the late Nobel Laureate and environmental activist, the organisations called for urgent measures to curb deforestation and safeguard Kenya’s forests, emphasizing the need for stronger conservation efforts amid rising environmental threats.
The environmental groups highlighted the consequences of unchecked deforestation, pointing to worsening air quality, threats to biodiversity, and risks to water security.
Despite existing policies, they noted, poor governance and environmental mismanagement continue to endanger Kenya’s natural resources.
The two organisations reaffirmed their commitment to defending the country’s forests and called on government agencies, civil society and the global community to take decisive steps in reversing environmental degradation.
Speaking during the event, the Conservation Alliance of Kenya, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Itela, emphasized the urgent need for environmental stewardship, calling on Kenyans to take personal responsibility for conservation efforts.
Itela highlighted the critical state of Kenya’s forests, including Mau, Aberdare, Mount Kenya, Cherangani Hills, and Mount Elgon forests, warning against encroachment and deforestation.
He emphasized that forests are essential for supporting agriculture, water supply, and energy production, not just for Kenya but for its neighbouring countries as well.
“We all have a role to play, from disposing of waste responsibly to planting trees and protecting our forests,” he said.
He condemned illegal charcoal burning, calling for alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on forest resources.
Commending local conservation groups, Itela applauded the work of Community Forest Associations (CFAs) for their dedication to restoring degraded forests despite limited resources.
He urged leaders and institutions to lead by example in conservation efforts, stressing that small individual actions could collectively result in significant change.
“If Wangari Maathai were alive today, she would repeat the same message: do your little thing. If we each play our part, we can be a generation that restores, rather than one that destroys,” he concluded.
Ngong Community Forest Association, chairperson, Simon Woods, emphasized the critical state of Kenya’s forests, citing a growing appetite for public land.
The forest, initially spanning over 3,000 hectares, has been significantly reduced due to development projects, leaving only 1,224 hectares.
Woods highlighted the challenges of co-managing forests under Kenya’s Forest Act, which mandates a 50-50 partnership between the government and local communities.
The CFA is working on sustainable income-generating projects such as beekeeping, tree nurseries, and ecotourism to provide alternative livelihoods while preserving the forest.
However, challenges persist, including security issues, illegal charcoal burning, illegal waste dumping, and disputes over non-genuine land titles.
Woods concluded, “The environment, the earth and the world do not belong to us, the current generation. It belongs to the future generations. It is upon us to protect and hand it over better than we found it.”
