The National Council of Churches of Kenya together with her partners have launched the first ever Ecosystem Management for the Mara Ecosystem. The ceremony that attracted close to 200 people including representatives from the county governments of Bomet and Narok was presided over by the NCCK Deputy General Secretary Dr.Nelson Makanda.
The Mara Ecosystem Management Plan is a culmination of an intensive process by NCCK and other stakeholders in the Mara Basin under a project dubbed SULAMME (Sustainable Land Management Plan for Mara Ecosystem).
The project aims at contributing towards restoration of the ecosystem for sustainable livelihoods development. The plan is expected to guide both farmers and investors in ensuring full utilization of the ecosystem’s resources.
It will further guide the development of relevant policies for sustainable socio economic development in the region in line with the Kenya Vision 2030 and the CIDPs, as well as any other developmental document to realize the aspiration of the communities living within the Basin. The entire process was carried out with financial and technical support from the Embassy of Sweden and UKaid through Act!
Speaking during the event, Dr.Nelson Makanda appreciated Nakuru, Bomet and Narok county governments and other stakeholders for their immense input towards the development of the plan. He underscored some of the notable success stories of the SULAMME project including adoption of diversified farming among target communities, soil control measures and livelihood improvements.
Chief Officer in charge of Urban Planning for Bomet County Dr.Richard Sigei who also doubled up as the lead person in the development of the plan, commended NCCK for facilitating the development of the plan. His counterpart in charge of environment Mr.Maritim challenged the Council to mobilize all stakeholders within the ecosystem to participate in the implementation of the plan keeping in mind that it requires a concerted effort to do so.
The meeting was attended by Paul Rono, the Secretary of Mara Water Resource Users Association, NCCK Senior Programmes Officer for Governance Joseph Ng’etich South Rift Regional Coordinator Mr John Nairuko among others.
