Kinangop communities sign landmark deal to protect Aberdare water towers
By Emmanuel Rono, May 3, 2026The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has signed a five-year Forest Management Agreement with Community Forest Associations (CFAs) in a major step toward safeguarding the vital Aberdare ecosystem.
The agreement, signed effective on May 1, 2026, formalised at the North Kinangop forest station, brings together CFAs from North Kinangop, South Kinangop and Geta, granting local communities a central role in managing and conserving the forests.
Under the deal, residents will enjoy regulated access to forest resources, including sustainable grazing, fuel wood collection, and participation in plantation development.
The pact also opens up opportunities for community-led ecotourism ventures aimed at boosting local livelihoods.
Balance between conservation and community
Speaking during an interview with a local station on May 2, 2026, Beatrice Mbula, the KFS Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests, said the agreement is designed to strike a balance between conservation and economic empowerment by giving communities a sense of ownership over forest resources.
“Participating in the forestry establishment of our plantations, also have grazing rights we have fuel rights we have ecotourism rights and many other rights that are within that document that we have signed today that is called the forest management agreement,” Mbula said.
The signing of the agreement is also seen as a key step toward safeguarding resources critical to urban populations that depend on the Aberdare ecosystem.
Reserving deforestation
KFS officials emphasised that involving communities living adjacent to forests is key to reversing deforestation and ensuring long-term sustainability.
“Nyandarua is where all the waters that are enjoyed by Nairobi and Nakuru counties come from so unless anything that happens up here will have a negative breakdown,” Daniel Mkung, Chief Forest Conservator, Nyandarua said.
The initiative also aligns with the government’s ambitious plan to plant 15 billion trees by 2032, positioning local communities at the forefront of climate action.