Kenya Forest Service and Mombasa County Government have held an inaugural mad bath marathon in the Jomvu constituency to raise awareness about mangrove ecosystem conservation.
The marathon also aims to raise funds to set up beacons to demarcate the mangrove forest boundaries, build the capacity of the local Community Forest Associations (CFAs), and implement the National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan.
The event is a precursor to the national celebrations of International Day for the Conversation of the Mangrove Ecosystems, to be marked on the 26th of July in Lunga Lunga Sub-County, Kwale County.
According to the National Forest Assessment Report 2021, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu cities have low tree cover per capita.
“Factors associated with this trend could be growing human needs, especially the rapidly expanding physical infrastructure, low priority for green infrastructural development (Urban forestry), and ballooning population,” reads the assessment report in part.
The report also shows that the natural forest type has the highest proportion of forests with 84 percent, whereas mangroves have the most negligible proportion of forest types with one per cent.
Speaking after the marathon, Jomvu MP Badi Twalib Badi assured KFS of his unwavering support for the conservation of mangroves in the constituency.
“It’s not right to encroach on mangrove areas by law; there is a place known as riparian land from where the mangrove forest ends, with 30 or 40 metres, which is riparian land.
We are informing you in earnest that a plan is underway to install beacons. We will cooperate with all conservation stakeholders to ensure the beacons are in place to protect our mangrove forest. The mangroves have been cut down,” said the legislator.
The MP urged Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs CS Salim Mvurya not to leave out the constituency when issuing fishing gear for the fisher folk to expand their business.
James Mwangombe, who represented the Acting Chief Conservator of Forests, Alex Lemarkoko, in the marathon, urged forest-adjacent communities to take part in the conservation of mangroves and challenged every resident to plant at least 30 seedlings in a year.
“KFS has a huge mandate that it is implementing with partners to conserve forests. We have a responsibility to plant more mangroves. The mangroves are the nursery for fish; we should protect the mangroves,” said Mwangombe.
The county Executive for transport and infrastructure, Dan Manyala, elucidated the importance of mangroves in the conservation of the environment.
By Sadik Hassan
