Indigenous peoples in Kenya face challenges regarding REDD+ implementation, as the government does not fully recognize them and they are not involved in the REDD+ process. Deforestation is driven by demand for timber, fuelwood, and charcoal as well as poverty. Climate change is negatively impacting indigenous livelihoods. There is a need for capacity building, IP involvement in REDD+, and measures to ensure good governance. Kenya has forest policies and laws, but IP concerns are not fully addressed. Information about REDD+ remains limited.

1. KENYA'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
AND REDD
By Edna Kaptoyo(IIN )
Daniel Kobei( OPDP)

2. Outline
● Introduction
● Challenges and opportunities regarding
REDD(Participants perspective)
● Policies and Acts in place/ongoing
● REDD process in Kenya
● Needs/Expectations

3. Introduction
● Kenya had a vast forest cover in early 1980's to
mid 1990's before the degradation and
deforestation commenced
● The country has many forests most of which
are gazzeted by the government. Some of the
forests are;Mt. Kenya, Mt.Elgon Forest,
Aberdare forest,Cherangany forest, Mau
complex and mukogogodo forest.
● Mugogodo,Mau,mt.elgon and cherangany forest
are the ones inhabited by the IP's(Ogiek,Yaaku
etc)

4. Cont...
● The forest cover at the moment is said to be 1.7%
2% according to the Kenya Forest service a
department which is mandated by the governmen
to oversee the forests in terms of protecting and
improving forest cover in the country. This is low
compared to the global requirement of 10%
● With the realisation of the decreased forest cover
the government issued a ban on illegal logging and
cutting of trees for any use whatsoever, whether
is by IP's/individuals personal use.
● This resulted in the introduction of permits i.e one
had to get a permit to cut a tree (building,fencing
etc)

5. Drivers of deforestation
● For quite some time the ban on illegal logging
for timber worked until the early 2000, where
demand for timber grew i.e for commercial
purposes, thus the logging started and the
permits were used to get timber from forests for
commercial purposes and these was done
massively by companies that deal with paper
and pole(for electricity and telecoms )
production
● Ban on logging caused people to illegal log
● Poverty drove people to sell timber and fuel
wood whose demand increased(other fuel
sources are expensive)

6. Challenges
● The government does not recognize the IP's
despite effort made by IP memebrs and
organisations to be accepted by the
government which is a member of the African
Commision
● The REDD process is entirely rested on the
hands of the government and IP's are not
involved

7. Cont...
● Good governance is an issue:The government
has been a problem due to corruption REDD
might be imposed on the forest dwellers without
their FPIC basically for funding which might be
used for personal gains
● Opportunities are there but minimal. The govt
prime minister has advocated for the forest
dwellers in Mau for instance to be left to stay in
the forest as opposed to the govt order of
eviction. This is still a controversial issue since
it has been politicised

8. Climate Change In Kenya
● Climate change in Kenya has been experienced in
Kenya and its effects has been devastating to the
IP's who are living in already fragile
ecosystems(ASAL's)
● Changes have occurred in terms of; rainfall
patterns change thus affecting the planting and
harvesting seasons, strong winds, floods and
landslide, increased incedence of drought and
hence the encroachment o desert into the arid
lands. The livelihoods of Ip's has been affected
also
● The 4th IPCC report also mentioned that Africa will
be worst hit by a problem they least contributed to

9. Cont..
● The govt has recognised that climate change is
there but special considerations to the Ip's has
not been enough even with the creation of the
ASAL ministry for development. This is because
the ministry focuses on development perse not
in factors affecting it
● The introduction of monoculture is at an alrming
rate in Kenya especially with the intoruction of
fast growing eucalyptus

10. Needs
● There is need for capacity building and
sensitization of IP's to lobby the govt to
implement REDD with the involvement of IP's
and to also put in place measures to ensure
good governance
● We expect the meeting to make meaning,
recommendations on the implementation of
REDD

11. Policies and Acts in Place
● Kenya has several policies for protecting forests
● The Forest Act of 2005: This Act was passed in
2005 and it is said to be the best so far in terms
of offering incentives for the improvement of
forest cover as well as the management of
indigenous forests. But there are challenges
since IP's were not involved in its development
at the drafting stages.

12. ● The Act favors farm forestry and individual
forests yet IP's have trust lands, group
ranches. Community land under trust is
managed by the council so community are
disadvantage since to manage the forest they
have to claim it back from council and the
process is bureaucratic
● We have the EMCA Act which governs the
environment and has 77 laws. These is
importantfor forests

13. REDD Process
● Lack of information on REDD. More people
know more about the carbon trade rather than
the REDD. This is so despite the fact that
Kenya was selected as a pilot
● The process is to be undertaken by the ministry
of Agriculture in the notion that agriculture is the
main driver of deforestation(this is not the case-
charcoal/fuelwood is the major driver)

14. THANK YOU