There is a need for the management of Mt. Elgon National Park to be transferred to the county government to benefit the locals.
Bungoma County executive for water, environment, tourism, and natural resources, Hebert Kibunguchi, asked President William Ruto to transfer the park’s management to the county government the way he did with the Amboseli National Park,” he said.
Kibunguchi said that the transfer will give the county government the opportunity to develop the facility even more, adding that Bungoma has already started efforts to fence the park and prevent further encroachment by the residents.
“We are also partnering with organisations like the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to reclaim the riparian lands in the forest,” he said.
The CEC who spoke in his office decried massive deforestation in the region, leading to the drying of rivers, wells, and streams in the region.
“Mt Elgon ecosystem is the main water supplier to the rivers in this region and some parts of Uganda; therefore, continued deforestation will gradually affect the water supply,” Kibunguchi noted.
The CEC also said the Ministry of Water has partnered with other organisations to plant 31 million trees in Bungoma to address the emerging climate change crisis in the country,” he said.
At the same time, the county is in talks with investors to put up hotels where tourists can stay during their visit next to Mt. Elgon National Park for revenue generation for the county instead of leaving it idle.
Meanwhile, the county government has drilled 42 boreholes across the wards to give residents easy access to water.
Equally, plans were underway for vending machines to be installed to dispense water so that the money collected from the venture could be used to maintain the water projects.
Kibunguchi said climate change had led to a shortage of food production in the region.
“Our region is not receiving as much rain as it used to, and that is why we are experiencing food shortages perennially, he added.
By Roseland Lumwamu
