Aberdares’ most valued asset for all Kenyans is its water catchment.

Plans for any developments must be conditional on this prime asset.

An integrated Ecosystem Management Plan that commits all ad hoc plans to the scrutiny of a ‘holistic policy’ and the revenue positive role the Rhino Ark Aberdare fence and its ‘access protocols’ into the Aberdare Conservation Area were stressed as ‘prime requirements’ by the Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service directors at the commissioning of the 60 km of Phases Seven and Eight on April 24th.

The event was held at the Nandarasi gate into the Aberdare Conservation Area on the main Naivasha - Aberdare National Park road.

Five Rhino Ark trustees joined senior management of the Kenya Wildlife Service led by its director, Mr Julius Kipng’etich and Kenya Forest Service senior deputy directors, Mr Emilio Mugo and Mr Anthony Maina representing the Director Mr David Mbugua, who was on an overseas mission, at the commissioning event.

The role of communities in accelerating sustainable forest uses, tighter rulings on high altitude piped water proposals, indigenous forest dead wood extraction, grass off take and livestock access into water catchments within the fence urgently need to comply to more rigorous guidelines and within the proposed overall plan, were highlighted.

Other activities which needed to fall within the scrutiny of an overall ecosystem plan included: ‘environmentally damaging’ road proposals, tourism project planning in which local communities could participate and secure additional income beyond farming, sighting and conditionalities of eco-lodge and tourism projects and carbon credit re-forestation opportunities.

Hundreds of forest edge farmers from the Njabini, Geta, Ndonyu Njeru areas attended the ceremony to celebrate the completion of two sections – Phase 7 from Njabini to Nandarasi and Phase 8 which continues through Wanjohi to the escarpment near the Malewa River.

The completed distance of the electrified fence is now 348 km.

Considerable attention within the planning for the Kipiriri Section has been given to ensuring a right of passage for wildlife and principally elephant in the 4 kms section between the main Aberdares and Mt Kipipiri.

It is the first elephant corridor to be included in the long term planning for the future of migratory routes for wildlife between the Aberdares to their traditional savannah range areas.

Work on the Mt Kipiriri section starts immediately and will be complete in twelve months.

Mr Kipng’etich confirmed that a further ksh 40 million for fence materials requested in the 2008 supplementary estimates was now confirmed. This brings the total fund provision from the Treasury to Ksh 122 million.

The Kenya Government’s endorsement of the ‘shilling for a shilling’ plan recognises shared fiscal responsibility from civil society taxpayers (through Rhino Ark) and the public sector.

Rhino Ark has raised over Ksh 500 million (US $ 8 million) for the project since its inception twenty years ago.