Save our Forest (Mt. Elgon Ecosystem & Water Tower) 

The Kenya Government is constructing the Kitale-Endebes-Suam Road and also intend to construct a Township-cum- One Stop Border Post at the Suam Border. We have learnt that the road as well as the said township and Border Post will be located a part of Suam Forest which is a gazetted Forest and part of the Mt Elgon Forest Ecosystem and Water Tower. This development is without regard to the fact that:

(a)   Suam Forest is a gazetted Forest Station and part of the Mt Elgon Ecosystem.

(b)    This project will entail clearing of Suam Forest which is a gazetted forest that has neither been excised nor degazetted.

(c)   Mt. Elgon is also one of the largest Water Towers in Kenya and the source of several rivers e.g the Suam river which flows northwards and becomes the Turkwel River downstream and drains into lake Turkana. This project will lead to water shortage and pollution of river suam. 

(d)   Clearing the forest will not only lead to devegetation and exposing soils to erosion, it will also lead to direct loss of wildlife habitat as well as general degradation of their habitat. This will lead to reduced availability of food, animal shelter, migratory roots, and breeding habitat and will also adversely affect the tourism in the county.

(e)     There has been no public participation or media publication of this project and therefore infringe our rights as per the constitution of Kenya.

(g)   No efforts have been made to highlight the negative effects of the project.

These will violate the Constitution, the Environmental Management & Co-ordination Act, as well as Wildlife legislation, Forest legislation and even the Water legislation. 

We further petition that the project is stopped henceforth until the matter is fully determined by relevant offices to the public satisfaction.