The Political Economy, Manipulation And Watershed Degradation In KENYA
Abstract
Kenya’s experience in terms of draught, erratic rainfall patterns, scarcity of water and
rationing of electricity exposes the powerful relationship between environmental issues
and the political system. These problems have resulted to suffering in terms of lack of
food, loss of livelihoods assets e.g. livestock and loss of jobs in general. The politicians
have always used environmental assets such as the Aberdares, Mau forest among others
which are the country’s main water catchment towers to appease unsuspecting
communities to maintain them in power by voting for them and protecting their selfish
interests.
With increased consciousness on climate change and its adverse effects on especially the
resource poor, vested political interests has alienated the marginalized’s opportunity to
join the global arena in trading in services offered by sustainably managed ecosystems in
Kenya. There is only 14 green energy and climate friendly projects are in various stages
of approval for clean development mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, yet the
country has lost 5% of its forest cover in the last 15 years.
A stormy and current debate rages on with two schools of though; one advocating for
nonnegotiable total protection and the other arguing that conservation has to have a
human face and should not be at the expense of evictees.
This paper documents key historical points of association between Kenyan politics and
encroachment of major water towers, in relation to how these towers have been governed
over time including community initiatives aimed at protecting them. The paper also
identifies and analyzes the key impacts of this encroachment and proposes a workable
framework of managing these areas sustainably.
The paper relies on the secondary data gathered over time in various urban and regional
planning department studios carried out over time in different parts of the country. In
formulation of the sustainable framework it analyzes the authoritative Ndungu report on
land and Graft in Kenya, Kenya’s major political parties so as to asses how what they
document is reflected in what they practice.
The paper’s major recommendation is that, sustainable protection of Kenya’s water
catchment areas will be won when local people are empowered to manage local resources
and adapt to environmental change and holding politicians accountable for abuse of
power.
URI
http://profiles.uonbi.ac.ke/murimi/publications/political-economy-manipulation-and-watershed-degradation-kenyahttp://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/38026
Citation
Murimi, Mr.James Maina. 2010. The Political Economy, Manipulation And Watershed Degradation In Kenya. Isee 2010 Advancing Sustainability In A Time Of Crises. : Murimi J.maina, Opiyo RomanusPublisher
University of Nairobi, College of Architecture and Engineering