NANYUKI, Kenya – Environmentalists have raised the red flag over the rampant destruction of Acacia trees in areas predominantly occupied by Kenyan pastoral communities.
Y News has established that pastoral communities, mainly in the Northern Kenya region, have long relied on livestock as their source of livelihood.
The pastoral groups in the region are the Turkana, Samburu, Borana, Somali, Pokot, Ilchamus, and Rendille.
In these regions, Y News knows that the Acacia tree is a source of wood, fodder, and shade for the communities.
But according to Boniface Kiteme, Director of the Centre for the Training and Integrated Research in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands Development (CITRAD), based in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, these communities are sitting on hundreds of thousands of acres of unexplored treasure.
These treasures Kiteme recently told Y News that they can change the fortunes of a region characterised by hunger and poverty.
Researchers like Kiteme project that the Acacia trees in the northern region of Kenya are worth billions of US Dollars.
Why residents of Northern Kenya should take advantage of Acacia trees
Kiteme says that it’s high time that the locals of counties such as Marsabit, Wajir, and Mandera counties took advantage of these plants by venturing into the lucrative trade of gums and resins, which are dried sap from specific Acacia trees.
“I want to observe this: almost everything we depend on today also depends on gums and resins. You can talk about the chemical industry, breweries, Coca-Cola, paints, and even pharmaceuticals, but these factories cannot function without gums from the Acacia trees,” Kiteme said.
When Y News recently visited the region, it established that soil and water availability are critical factors in tree growth.
However, arid soil and atmosphere conditions limit tree growth in arid deserts. Acacia tree species are distributed in the most arid deserts of the globe; therefore, they are well adapted to heat and prolonged droughts.
Arid and semi-arid areas cover up to 45 pc of the earth’s surface. Although desert habitats are poor in water and nutrients, Acacia trees inhabit many deserts around the globe.
Where are gums and resins best produced
Kiteme reiterated that understanding why some plants do better than others in some environments is critical in plant science.
“Let me insist that whether looking at natural gum or artificial gums, there is a huge market potential for gum consumption,” Kiteme added.
The researcher further disclosed that gums and resins are best produced in attitudes below 1,500.
“This sector has not been fully exploited, but we need to look at such a sub-sector/ value chain because the same species that give us gum is the same species that the pastoralists are targeting for environmentally destructive practices like charcoal production,” he lamented.
According to Kiteme, if these pastoral communities were educated and sensitised to understand the benefits of acacia trees, such a move would powerfully transform their livelihoods.
“They need to be told that if you cut one tree to produce one bag of charcoal, which will give you, at the very best, between Sh 800 and Sh 1,000, and you use this for one week, then you go back and cut down another one, once you do this, then this acacia will never be there again,” he explained.
What are the consequences of wanton cutting down of the invasive Acacia trees
In his own words, Kiteme said, “And you will continue to cut, and this is responsible for the wanton destruction of vegetation in the rangelands.”
Kiteme pointed out that if this is transformed into a producing entity, a privy sustainable harvesting practice, the locals would primarily benefit from it.
“So, tap this tree today, get the amount you are going to get, retain it there for next week and the coming generations, the vegetation shall remain intact, and the livelihoods shall be supported,” he added.
Kiteme, however, said this is not very prominent because the pastoral or rangeland communities would like a quick fix because they want money to support their livelihoods.
“So, when I cut down that tree and make two bags of charcoal, it takes me a maximum of two to three days. On the other hand, tapping gum and resins requires time and training to understand how to do it, and it requires carefully negotiated market links. This is what is missing, and this is an area that I would strongly recommend we focus on,” Kiteme said.
