Background

The Kakamega Tropical Rainforest is of immense ecological and cultural importance as Kenya’s only remaining fragment of the Congo-Zaire rainforest. This vital ecosystem not only shelters diverse wildlife but also helps regulate water systems, and supports the daily needs of surrounding communities. 

However, it stands at a critical juncture. The forest is under growing pressure from imminent threats such as unsustainable practices driven by high poverty rates and a lack of alternative livelihood opportunities. Among the most pressing challenges are the encroachment of farmland into forested areas, reliance on destructive agricultural methods, illegal timber harvesting, large-scale charcoal production, and the introduction of non-native tree species that disrupt the natural ecosystem.

The decline of the Kakamega Rainforest, along with the depletion of Kenya’s five central water towers, is also linked to increasingly erratic rainfall patterns in the region. This has led to food insecurity due to poor agricultural yields and debilitating droughts, impacting the lives and livelihoods of millions. 

This project aims to protect and restore Kakamega’s fragile landscapes, contributing to international environmental commitments such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Project Summary

The Kakamega Rainforest restoration project is located in South Nandi and follows a multiple-impact approach, which ensures: 

• Community-led restoration: Prioritising local participation in project areas through our partnership with Women in Water and Natural Resource Conservation (WWANC), as well as through working closely with the Kenya Forest Service and local government authorities.

 • Ecological resilience: Planting suitable native and threatened tree species as well as employing proper planting techniques to restore degraded areas and foster ecological integrity. 

• Livelihood improvement: Promoting the adoption of agroforestry and providing fuel-efficient cooking stoves to enhance livelihoods and help reduce pressure on the forest. 

• Capacity building: Equipping communities with the tools and knowledge to actively participate in forest restoration activities, foster environmental stewardship, and ensure the project’s long-term sustainability. 

Phase 4

This is the fourth phase of work in the Kakamega forest that the Ecologi community has supported. Phase 4 of this project will run from August 2025 to July 2027, with the ITF planning to replant 106,383 trees that will restore 70 hectares of degraded sites within the Kakamega Rainforest, the Nandi Forest, and the Koibem block, as well as an additional 20 hectares within forest buffer zones in Nandi County. The location is adjacent to the project’s Phase 3 site at Chepkumia block, enabling seamless continuation and expansion of restoration efforts. 

By the end of this phase, a total of 736,000 trees will have been planted, and 563.4 hectares of degraded forest fragments within the Kakamega Rainforest will have been restored through Phases 1 to 3 of this initiative. In this proposed Phase, local communities will play a key role in further rehabilitating degraded forest areas within the Kakamega Rainforest.

The key deliverables of this next phase will include:

1) The planting a total of 106,383 trees

2) The restoration of 90 hectares of degraded areas in Kakamega Tropical Rainforest and small-holder lands

3) The employment of 6 community scouts for the nurturing, aftercare, and post-planting maintenance of trees

 4) Upscaling the production of both indigenous and threatened tree seedlings in the established community-managed nursery situated close to the identified planting sites

5) Scaling the empowerment of the local Community Forest Associations (CFAs) to take leadership in forest management and protection, thereby improving local livelihoods and fostering a sense of community ownership

6) Participatory resource monitoring and measurement of project outcomes, documentation of best practices, and lessons learned using GIS technologies and remote sensing

7) Installing 300 eco-stoves for 150 households living within the buffers of the Kabujoi forest block