Post by Jenga Future Initiative

Our Easter Visit to Kapchemutwa Forest Block, Elgeyo Marakwet   Over the Easter holidays, the Jenga Future team made the journey to Kapchemutwa Forest Block, part of the magnificent Cherangany Hills Forest Ecosystem — one of Kenya's five vital water towers. What we found was inspiring and urgent.   The local Community Forest Association has established a thriving tree nursery with support from Restore Africa — a powerful testament to what community-driven conservation looks like on the ground. The dedication of the Community Forest Association (CFA) members is commendable. The Cherangany Hills Forest is under serious threat. According to the Cherangany Hills Forest Restoration Opportunity Assessment and Mapping report by Nature Kenya and partners (Kenyatta University, Kenya Forest Service, KEFRI & National Museums of Kenya), approximately 32,000 hectares — about 34% of the gazetted forest area — require urgent restoration. This isn't just a biodiversity crisis. It's a water security crisis. A livelihood crisis. A climate crisis. The forest sustains 431,407 people across three counties. It feeds the Nzoia, Turkwel and Kerio rivers. It powers the 106 MW Turkwel Hydroelectric Station. The water drawn from this ecosystem is valued at KSh 6.7 billion — a figure that could more than double under a successful restoration scenario. The Cherangany Hills is home to 815 plant species (including 34 threatened species), 101 bird species, elephants, leopards, and the critically rare mountain bongo. This is irreplaceable natural heritage. The science is clear. The roadmap exists. What we need now is collective action. Jenga Future is calling on government agencies, conservation organisations, the private sector, and communities to join us in restoring the Kapchemutwa Indigenous Forest Block. The restoration opportunity is estimated at over 23,000 hectares in the buffer zone alone — and the economic, ecological and social returns are transformative. If you are working on forest restoration, climate finance, agroforestry, Payment for Ecosystem Services, or community conservation in Kenya and beyond — let's connect. Let's act. Let's restore.   🔗 Learn more about our work: www.jengafuture.org   Elgeyo-Marakwet County Kenya Forest Service The Nature ConservancyNature Kenya Kenya Forestry Research Institute The Global Fund The Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate, @Water Resources Authority (WRA), NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT TRUST FUND (NETFUND-Kenya) #ForestRestoration #CheranganyHills #Kapchemutwa #IndigenousForest #ClimateAction #Biodiversity #WaterSecurity #Kenya #JengaFuture #RestoreAfrica #NatureKenya #CommunityConservation #Agroforestry #EcosystemRestoration #GreenKenya