The Cherangany Hills, located in the western highlands of Kenya spanning the counties of Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, and Elgeyo-Marakwet, represent one of Kenya's important water tower ecosystems. The hills are characterized by steep, rugged terrain and significant forest cover, including the Embobut Forest, the primary territory of the Sengwer indigenous people. The forest ecosystems of the Cherangany Hills provide water for downstream agricultural, pastoral, and domestic use across a broad region. The Cherangany Hills water tower status makes the region of high importance for Kenya's water security and environmental sustainability. The government has asserted conservation authority over the Cherangany region in the name of protecting the water tower.
The Sengwer's historical occupation of the Cherangany hills and Embobut Forest reflects centuries of territorial attachment and sustainable resource management. The Sengwer developed detailed knowledge of the Cherangany ecosystem, including plant and animal distribution, water sources, and seasonal patterns. This ecological knowledge enabled sustainable hunting, gathering, and honey harvesting supporting Sengwer livelihoods. The Sengwer maintained the forest ecosystem through practices including selective hunting, regulated honey harvesting, and forest management that protected water sources. The integrity of Cherangany forests and water supply across centuries of Sengwer occupation demonstrates that indigenous presence maintains rather than degrades water tower ecosystems.
Contemporary threats to the Cherangany water tower result from multiple sources including deforestation, agricultural expansion in forest margins, and conservation-driven displacement. Government deforestation and allocation of forest lands for other uses have degraded the Cherangany ecosystem. Agricultural expansion in forest margins has reduced forest cover. However, the government has blamed Sengwer presence for water tower degradation, providing justification for conservation policies restricting Sengwer access. The "Imarisha Msitu" operation, officially justified as protecting the Cherangany water tower, displaced over 600 Sengwer people and burned their homes. The operation prioritized forest restoration through Sengwer displacement over recognition of Sengwer sustainable management.
The assertion by Sengwer leaders and international advocacy organizations that genuine water tower protection requires partnership with rather than displacement of the Sengwer represents a fundamentally different conservation approach. Recognition of Sengwer territorial rights and restoration of Sengwer authority over forest management would enable implementation of indigenous forest management practices that have proven effective. Scientific evidence increasingly supports the idea that indigenous-managed forests show superior conservation outcomes. The integration of Sengwer knowledge with scientific conservation would provide the most effective approach to protecting the Cherangany water tower while supporting Sengwer livelihoods.
The Cherangany Hills thus represent both a critical environmental asset for Kenya and a site of indigenous rights struggles. The future sustainability of Cherangany water supply depends on recognition of Sengwer territorial rights and restoration of Sengwer access and authority. The continuation of exclusionary conservation approaches risks both environmental degradation and continued human rights violations. The alternative of rights-respecting conservation integrating indigenous knowledge and authority would serve both conservation and human rights objectives.
See Also
[[Sengwer\ Indigenous\ People]] | [[Embobut\ Forest]] | [[Forest\ Rights\ Land]] | Kenya | Water Kenya | Conservation | [[Eviction\ Forest\ Lands]]
Sources
-
Forest Peoples Programme. "Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Guards Are Burning Down Hundreds of Homes and Evicting Indigenous Sengwer Communities." May 15, 2024. https://www.forestpeoples.org/publications-resources/news/article/
-
International Indigenous Peoples Movement. "Condemn the Ongoing Evictions in Embobut Forest!" May 17, 2024. https://www.ipmsdl.org/statement/condemn-the-ongoing-evictions-in-embobut-forest/
-
Minority Rights Group International. "Sengwer in Kenya." https://minorityrights.org/communities/sengwer/
-
Survival International. "Letter to Conservation Donors." https://www.survivalinternational.org/articles/sengwer-letter