Effects of Community Participation in the Restoration of Rumuruti Forest in Laikipia County, Kenya

Abstract

Reforestation is a concerted effort to discover forest formation, biodiversity, and ecosystem practices through tree planting. There is a drive by international organizations to reclaim about 150 million ha of degraded forests by 2030. The Rumuruti Forest is located in the Laikipia County of Kenya. It is a unique and biodiverse forest renowned for its high density of large mammals, including elephants, lions, leopards, and rhinoceroses. The forest is home to several rare species, such as the upright-horned antelope, the black-faced vervet monkey, and the yellow-necked spurfowl. Rumuruti Forest is an expansive 15,378-acre forest located in Laikipia County, Kenya. These benefits had been offset by rapid habitat loss and degradation despite concerted efforts by the Kenyan government to restore as well as maintain this resource. Besides, previous restoration attempts of Rumuruti forest had been ineffective, as indicated by the widespread withering of recently planted seedlings, resulting in a doubling of replanting operations. A descriptive research design was applied to describe the current state of variables that could be identified. The study's specific objective was to investigate the potential socio-economic benefits of Rumuruti forest restoration to community members. A descriptive research design was applied to describe the current state of variables that could be identified. Research took place in Rumuruti town, Laikipia County, Kenya. It is located 40 km due North of Nyahururu. The geographical coordinates of Rumuruti town are 0.25996°N, 36.53633°E, with a population of 31649 people. The target population for this study was 4,800 people. The sample size was 139 households. The study concluded that the community was considerably more eager to work with the government and NGOs to contribute to the restoration of the Rumuruti forest. The community desired to be more involved in the restoration operations, including tree planting, tendering, and protection. As a result, effective processes were put in place to maximize the potential to achieve optimal regeneration of the Rumuruti forest.