Restoring Ngong Forest as a Water and Livelihood Lifeline

 

The Government has placed forest restoration at the centre of Kenya’s climate resilience and water security agenda, recognising that healthy catchments are the foundation upon which irrigation, food production and community livelihoods depend. This reality came into sharp focus during a consultative engagement led by Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho with the Oloolua Forest Community Forest Association and a wide range of stakeholders, aimed at restoring the Ngong Forest landscape under the 15 Billion Tree Growing Initiative.

The engagement brought together more than 20 forest user groups drawn from communities living around the Oloolua, Ngong Hills and Kibiko forest blocks. What made this meeting significant was not just the numbers, but the shared understanding that forest restoration is no longer a peripheral environmental issue. It is a core economic and social priority, directly linked to water availability, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

Forests as the Backbone of Water Security

Ngong Forest is a critical water catchment for surrounding communities and downstream users. Its rivers, springs and groundwater recharge zones support domestic water supply, smallholder irrigation and ecosystem services that are often taken for granted until they begin to fail. Years of pressure from encroachment, illegal logging and unregulated use have weakened these natural systems, making restoration an urgent task rather than a long-term aspiration.

In his engagement with community representatives, Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho underscored the reality that irrigation development cannot succeed in isolation from catchment protection. Dams, boreholes and irrigation canals all depend on reliable water flows, which in turn depend on healthy forests. Restoring Ngong Forest is therefore not just about planting trees. It is about securing the water systems that underpin food production and rural economies.

Community-Centred Restoration as a Policy Choice

One of the defining features of the Ngong Forest engagement was the emphasis on consultation rather than instruction. By bringing together over 20 forest user groups, the process acknowledged that communities are not obstacles to conservation but essential partners in restoration.

Community Forest Associations play a central role in managing forest resources, balancing conservation with livelihood needs. When communities are excluded, forests degrade quietly. When they are involved meaningfully, restoration efforts gain legitimacy and longevity. The consultative approach adopted in Ngong reflects a broader policy shift towards participatory natural resource management, where local knowledge and ownership are treated as assets.

This approach also aligns with Kenya’s evolving understanding of climate resilience. Adaptation is not only about infrastructure and technology. It is about strengthening social systems that enable communities to manage resources sustainably under changing conditions.

Linking Tree Growing to Livelihoods

The 15 Billion Tree Growing Initiative has often been discussed in terms of numbers and targets. While these metrics matter, their success ultimately depends on whether trees survive and whether communities see tangible benefits from restoration efforts.

In the Ngong Forest discussions, livelihoods were placed firmly at the centre of the restoration agenda. Rehabilitating forest blocks creates opportunities for sustainable income generation through activities such as tree nurseries, beekeeping, eco-tourism, sustainable harvesting of non-timber forest products and employment in forest management.

For irrigation-dependent communities, restored forests also mean more reliable water for farming. This link between trees and income is critical. When communities understand that forest health directly affects their economic wellbeing, conservation stops being an abstract ideal and becomes a practical necessity.

Climate Resilience Begins at Catchment Level

Climate change is altering rainfall patterns across Kenya, increasing the frequency of droughts and extreme weather events. In such a context, forests act as natural buffers. They regulate water flows, reduce runoff, recharge groundwater and moderate local climates.

The restoration of Oloolua, Ngong Hills and Kibiko forest blocks therefore contributes directly to climate resilience. By stabilising catchments, these forests help communities cope with rainfall variability and reduce vulnerability to water shortages. For the irrigation sector, this resilience is essential. Irrigation systems are only as reliable as the ecosystems that feed them.

Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho’s engagement highlighted the importance of integrating forest restoration into broader water and agricultural planning. This integrated perspective ensures that investments in irrigation infrastructure are protected by parallel investments in natural capital.

Governance and Coordination Across Stakeholders

Restoring a forest landscape that spans multiple blocks and user groups requires coordination. Government agencies, community organisations, conservation partners and local authorities must work from a shared framework to avoid duplication and conflict.

The consultative meeting in Ngong served as a platform for aligning roles and expectations. It reinforced the idea that restoration is not a single project but an ongoing process that requires governance structures capable of managing competing interests over time.

Such coordination is particularly important where forests interface with urban and peri-urban areas, as is the case with Ngong. Pressure from population growth, land use change and infrastructure development must be managed carefully to prevent further degradation.

From Tree Planting to Forest Stewardship

A recurring lesson from forest restoration efforts globally is that planting trees is the easiest part. Ensuring they grow, mature and integrate into functioning ecosystems is far more complex. This requires long-term stewardship, monitoring and adaptive management.

The engagement with forest user groups emphasised stewardship rather than one-off activities. By involving communities in planning and implementation, the restoration of Ngong Forest moves beyond ceremonial tree planting towards sustained forest management.

This approach also supports accountability. When communities are involved from the outset, they are more likely to protect restored areas and report illegal activities. Stewardship becomes a shared responsibility rather than a government enforcement challenge.

Why Ngong Forest Matters Beyond Its Boundaries

While the focus of the engagement was local, the implications are national. Forests like Ngong play a role in Kenya’s broader water systems and climate commitments. Their restoration contributes to national targets under the 15 Billion Tree Growing Initiative and strengthens Kenya’s position in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

For the irrigation sector, healthy forests upstream translate into reduced sedimentation in dams, improved water quality and more predictable flows. These benefits reduce operational costs and extend the lifespan of irrigation infrastructure, delivering better value for public investment.

A Practical Model for Integrated Action

The Ngong Forest consultative engagement offers a practical model for how environmental restoration, water security and livelihoods can be addressed together. By bringing communities into the conversation, aligning restoration with economic incentives and embedding forest health into irrigation planning, the approach moves beyond symbolism.

Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho’s role in this process reflects a broader understanding within government that water security begins long before water reaches a canal or a farm. It begins in forests, hills and catchments where rainfall is captured and stored by nature.

Looking Ahead

Restoring Ngong Forest will not happen overnight. It will require sustained commitment, clear governance arrangements and continued engagement with communities. However, the foundations laid through consultation and shared purpose increase the likelihood of success.

As Kenya pursues ambitious targets for irrigation expansion and climate resilience, such integrated approaches will become increasingly important. Forest restoration is no longer an environmental side project. It is a strategic investment in water security, food systems and community wellbeing.

The Ngong Forest engagement demonstrates that when communities, government and stakeholders come together around a shared vision, restoration becomes not just possible, but practical. In doing so, it reinforces a simple but powerful truth. Protecting forests is protecting water, and protecting water is securing the future.

Article by Victor Patience Oyuko. To buy coffee, Mpesa 0708883777