The Kakamega rain forest is to be fenced once the ongoing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is concluded.
The EIA is being undertaken jointly by the County Government, the Kenya Forests Service (KFS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Rhino Ark.
Speaking after the officers from the KFS, KWS and Rhino Ark paid him a courtesy call on Wednesday, Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said his administration has allocated Sh. 100 million for the project.
“Our objective is to have a well-established forest ecosystem that is inhabited by various species of wild wildlife that could attract tourists to the county,” he said, adding that Rhino Ark would also provide financial assistance.
Oparanya added that Vihiga County government, which hosts 10 per cent of the forest, has committed Sh. 30 million towards the project.
He stated that the fencing exercise is expected to take one and half months.
The governor disclosed that he toured the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the year 2015 on a mission of acquiring chimpanzees and gorillas and the primates can only be imported after fencing.
Animals from Congo forest can easily adapt to the conditions at Kakamega forest because both are tropical rain forests, he explained.
The county head said they are exploring the possibility of having a cable car along the forest to enable tourists have an aerial view of the flora and fauna.
By Sammy Mwibanda
