ELGEYO MARAKWET, Kenya — The Government has launched a major environmental restoration initiative targeting the conservation of the Cherangany Hills ecosystem as Kenya intensified efforts to protect critical water towers and advance climate action goals.
The Cherangany Hills Ecosystem Restoration for Livelihood Improvement, Sustainability and Harmony (CHERISH) programme was officially unveiled at Tebe Grounds in Kapyego, Elgeyo Marakwet County, during national celebrations marking the International Day for Biological Diversity.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki led the event alongside senior national and county government officials, environmental stakeholders, and local communities.
Speaking during the launch, Kindiki urged Kenyans to actively support environmental conservation efforts, describing ecosystem restoration as both a constitutional responsibility and a moral obligation.
“The protection of our forests, water towers, and biodiversity is not optional. It is a national duty that directly affects livelihoods, food security, climate resilience, and future generations,” he said.
The CHERISH programme is spearheaded by the OKM Foundation under the patronage of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen. The initiative seeks to restore degraded sections of the Cherangany Hills, one of Kenya’s five major water towers, while promoting sustainable livelihoods and peaceful coexistence between communities and nature.
Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco was among the senior government officials who attended the launch. The State Department for Correctional Services said the programme aligns with ongoing national environmental conservation efforts being implemented within correctional institutions across the country.
According to the department, correctional facilities have so far planted more than six million trees in support of the Government’s ambitious 15 billion tree-growing campaign aimed at increasing Kenya’s forest cover and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The launch comes amid growing concerns over deforestation, encroachment, and environmental degradation affecting Kenya’s critical ecosystems, including the Mau Forest Complex, Mount Kenya, Aberdare Range, Cherangany Hills, and Mount Elgon water towers.
The International Day for Biological Diversity celebrations also highlighted Kenya’s broader climate commitments under regional and global environmental frameworks, including the Paris Climate Agreement and the African Union’s environmental sustainability agenda.
Leaders attending the event reiterated the need for stronger collaboration between government agencies, local communities, conservation groups, and private sector stakeholders in reversing environmental degradation.
The event attracted Cabinet Secretaries, governors, Principal Secretaries, Members of Parliament, and other senior government officials, underscoring the administration’s push to place environmental restoration at the centre of Kenya’s development agenda.
The CHERISH programme is expected to combine reforestation, conservation education, sustainable land use practices, and community livelihood support as part of long-term efforts to restore ecological balance within the Cherangany ecosystem.
