Nairobi, September 17, 2025 – The government has unveiled a landmark 10-year programme to restore the Mau Forest Complex, Kenya’s largest water tower and one of East Africa’s most critical ecosystems.
Speaking during a Media and Partners Roundtable in Nairobi, Dr. Eng. Festus K. Ng’eno, Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, launched the Mau Forest Complex Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme (MFC-ICLIP) under the slogan “Linda Mau, Boresha Maisha”.
The initiative seeks to restore degraded forest land, safeguard biodiversity, and improve livelihoods through community-driven conservation.
Its first edition, set to be officially launched on October 24, 2025, targets the restoration of 3,313 hectares of degraded forest with over 4 million seedlings.
Already, a weekly tree-planting campaign has planted more than 150,000 seedlings in Eastern Mau in the past month.
“The Mau Forest Complex is not just a Kenyan treasure—it is a regional and global ecological lifeline,” said Dr. Ng’eno, who revealed his personal connection to the forest, having grown up in the area.
“This is a game-changing legacy initiative and a model for integrated forest restoration and livelihood improvement.”
The programme will adopt a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach, drawing in county governments, civil society, private investors, development partners, and local communities.
It also aligns with Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the 15 Billion Tree Initiative, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Among its ambitious goals are establishing a Mau Water Fund, supporting green jobs, strengthening food and water security, and enhancing the Mau’s role as a major carbon sink. The forest supports hydropower generation, agriculture, tourism, and even regional water flows into the Nile Basin.
Development partners including the World Bank, UNDP, FAO, EU, WWF, and Conservation International, alongside private sector players such as Safaricom Foundation, Equity Bank Foundation, and KCB Foundation, have pledged to support the programme.
Dr. Ng’eno urged the media to play an active role in telling the Mau story: “You are not just observers but partners who amplify voices, shape narratives, and inspire action.”
The PS expressed confidence that with collective effort, the Mau Forest will be transformed from a symbol of environmental degradation into a beacon of resilience and prosperity for Kenya, the region, and the world.
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