Residents turn to coffee, bamboo as Cherangany forest loss worsens

Residents of Chesongoch in Elgeyo Marakwet County are turning to agroforestry to restore degraded land and rebuild incomes as concern grows over the destruction of the Cherangany forest ecosystem.

The shift comes as communities abandon charcoal burning and embrace tree planting alongside crops such as coffee and bamboo, which residents say offer more reliable incomes and long-term environmental protection.

Everlyne Tenoi, a resident and conservation advocate, recalled a time when traditional systems protected forests across the region.

"Today, the upper parts are completely bare. People are cutting down trees, and many young people are now involved in charcoal production both uphill and in lower areas," noted Tenoi.

She blamed unregulated logging and charcoal burning for clearing large sections of forest in the uphill areas.

However, residents now see agroforestry as a way to reverse environmental destruction while improving livelihoods in an area that has faced repeated disasters linked to land degradation.

Tenoi said integrating coffee and bamboo farming with tree planting could discourage charcoal production by creating stronger household incomes.

"This approach would be very beneficial. If people grow bamboo and coffee, they will realise that coffee is far more valuable than charcoal," explained Tenoi.

She observed that coffee farming could provide long-term financial stability for families struggling with limited economic opportunities.

"Coffee can support those struggling to earn a living. The local economy is not doing well, and this is something that can genuinely uplift our people," added Tenoi.

Communities living near Chesoi forest also backed the transition to coffee farming, saying it provides a steadier income than crops such as mangoes.

"Coffee generates regular income. It can stabilise households and improve livelihoods in ways that charcoal burning cannot," observed one elder.

Tenoi pointed to Tinderet in Nandi County as an example of how agroforestry can succeed even in difficult terrain.

"In Tinderet, the terrain is hilly, and water is less abundant than here, yet they have successfully planted trees alongside coffee. Their soils are well-maintained and productive," recalled Tenoi.

The growing push for community-led conservation comes as the government prepares to roll out a major restoration project under the Cherangany Hills Ecosystem Restoration for Livelihood Improvement, Sustainability and Harmony (CHERISH) Programme.

The programme aims to rehabilitate 62,038 hectares of degraded forest and riparian land over the next decade, beginning in 2026.

The initiative, spearheaded by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, is designed to combine environmental recovery with economic empowerment for communities living around the Cherangany ecosystem.

The programme is expected to create more than 500,000 green jobs through agroforestry, eco-tourism, beekeeping and landscape restoration activities.

Murkomen is expected to officially launch the programme in Kapyego, Marakwet East, on Thursday, May 21, through a tree-planting exercise alongside the Sengwer indigenous community.

The Sengwer community has welcomed the initiative, saying it places local communities and indigenous knowledge at the centre of conservation efforts.

During a stakeholders' roundtable meeting in April, Murkomen warned that destruction of the Cherangany ecosystem now threatens livelihoods and national stability.

"This is not just a forest; it is a national life support system that is under severe pressure. About 15 per cent of the ecosystem is already extremely degraded, covering over 62,000 hectares, while 67 per cent is moderately degraded, with more than 41,000 hectares of forest cover lost," said Murkomen.

"This is a gradual erosion of security, livelihoods, and stability. That is why a collective response is necessary," he added.

The government says the programme forms part of wider efforts to restore water towers, reduce disasters such as landslides and strengthen climate resilience in vulnerable regions.

Residents and conservation advocates now say Chesongoch's recovery depends on balancing environmental restoration with sustainable livelihoods after years of forest destruction and recurring disasters.