How politics has subverted conservation efforts to protect Kenya’s Mau Forest
Political interests have informed conservation policies in one of East Africa’s most important water towers, the Mau Forest Complex.
theconversation.com
The Mau Forest Complex is the largest montane tropical forest in East Africa. This is an ecosystem with rich biodiversity and is characterized by high rainfall.
Composed of 22 forest sectors, the Mau is located in Kenya’s Rift Valley, the heart of the country’s fertile and rain-fed highlands. The forest plays a pivotal role in feeding a large part of the country’s water network.
The Mau Forest’s 380,000 hectares have witnessed a long and tormented history of human habitation. It’s a territory hotly contested.
The management of the forest is a key issue in every political election, just like it was in the run-up to Kenya’s 9 August 2022 poll. Our research has found that state interventions in the Mau Forest over the last 100 years have been designed to serve specific political-economic interests, rather than to conserve the ecosystem.
