The multiple uses of forests continue to draw interest from diverse stakeholders. Forest Manageme... more The multiple uses of forests continue to draw interest from diverse stakeholders. Forest Management Teams model has been used to accommodate the interests of stakeholders and facilitate better forest management and improve community livelihoods through managed citizenship. In Kenya, the model has been practiced the longest in Arabuko Sokoke forest. This paper reviews the 25-year-old Arabuko Sokoke Forest Management Team using the Influence and Importance tool. The assessment demonstrates that Influence and Importance factors affect forest management either positively or negatively, fair and just use of this tool could lead to a team (citizenship) that is perpetually adapting to new tasks and emerging scenarios where local communities and stakeholders are empowered by new rights conferred to them by the partnership. In Arabuko Sokoke forest, the use of Forest Management Team has achieved enviable success in forest management, community livelihoods, organizational development and rural development-which are essential elements for forest citizenship. This paper documents how appropriate application of Influence and Importance tool bounded by external and internal actors can enhance an inclusive and adaptive participatory process.
In Kenya, a Participatory Forest Management (PFM) approach was adopted through formation of Commu... more In Kenya, a Participatory Forest Management (PFM) approach was adopted through formation of Community Forest Associations (CFA) to improve forest cover and their livelihoods as provided for in the Forest Act 2005. The main objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing the level of CFA members' participation in PFM activities in selected forests in Kenya. The study was undertaken on the Ontukigo and Ngare Ndare CFAs involved in participatory management of the Ontulili and Ngare Ndare forests respectively, located in the Eastern Conservancy, Buuri Sub County (Meru County) in Kenya. Semi structured questionnaires were administered to randomly selected 80 CFA and 80 Non CFA members. Participatory Rural Appraisal tools, including focused group discussions and community wealth characterization, were used to collect qualitative data for precise description of the quantitative data. The level of participation of CFA members in PFM activities was positively and significantly influenced by the level of perceived PFM benefits (χ 2 = 38.73, P=0.05); range of farm size (χ 2 =12.72, P=0.05); and nature of the head-of-household (χ 2 =29.99, P=0.001). As such, benefits gained from the forest play an important role as incentives to community participation in PFM.
Equity in forest resources access remains a key challenge. In Kenya this was exacerbated by the a... more Equity in forest resources access remains a key challenge. In Kenya this was exacerbated by the application of command and control management approaches. The introduction of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in 1997 has started changing this scenario. The main objective of this study was to determine the equity mechanisms practiced under Traditional Community Based Forest Management (TCBFM), a traditional form of participatory forest management in Loita forest. An assessment of the impact of this management approach showed that equity and pro poor practices were inherent in Loita forest, where TCBFM was being implemented. The approach facilitated the poor to build up assets through relatives contributing to their livelihood assets. This was sustained through traditional support systems that are interwoven with forestry management. A majority of the community members interviewed perceived that the importance of the forest to household livelihood had been increasing since 1995. An increase in household assets since 1995 was associated with household participation in Traditional Community Based Natural Resources Management (TCBNRM). A majority (93%) of the households who were members of TCBNRM indicated grazing as the benefit. There was a general perception that participation in this form of PFM contributed to improvement of economic, physical, natural, human, social, and political capitals at the household and community levels.
Forests contribute significantly to the livelihoods of forest adjacent communities. Under the Ken... more Forests contribute significantly to the livelihoods of forest adjacent communities. Under the Kenya's new Forest Act (2005), community participation in forest conservation is provided for through formation of Community Forest Associations (CFAs). This study focused on Ontukigo and Ngare Ndare CFAs involved in participatory management of Ontulili and Ngare Ndare forests in North Central Kenya. It aimed at identifying household factors associated with decision to participate in PFM and the differences between CFA and non-CFA members in their participation in forest conservation activities. Semi structured questionnaires were administered to randomly selected 80 CFA and 80 non-CFA members. Factors influencing household decision to join CFA included household size (, ), age (, ), number of cows (, ) and sheep (, ) owned by CFA (6.6) and non-CFA (4.2), farm size (, ) and forms of land tenure. Other factors included distance of homestead from forest (, ), sources of fodder (, ), acces...
The multiple uses of forests continue to draw interest from diverse stakeholders. Forest Manageme... more The multiple uses of forests continue to draw interest from diverse stakeholders. Forest Management Teams model has been used to accommodate the interests of stakeholders and facilitate better forest management and improve community livelihoods through managed citizenship. In Kenya, the model has been practiced the longest in Arabuko Sokoke forest. This paper reviews the 25-year-old Arabuko Sokoke Forest Management Team using the Influence and Importance tool. The assessment demonstrates that Influence and Importance factors affect forest management either positively or negatively, fair and just use of this tool could lead to a team (citizenship) that is perpetually adapting to new tasks and emerging scenarios where local communities and stakeholders are empowered by new rights conferred to them by the partnership. In Arabuko Sokoke forest, the use of Forest Management Team has achieved enviable success in forest management, community livelihoods, organizational development and rural development-which are essential elements for forest citizenship. This paper documents how appropriate application of Influence and Importance tool bounded by external and internal actors can enhance an inclusive and adaptive participatory process.
In Kenya, a Participatory Forest Management (PFM) approach was adopted through formation of Commu... more In Kenya, a Participatory Forest Management (PFM) approach was adopted through formation of Community Forest Associations (CFA) to improve forest cover and their livelihoods as provided for in the Forest Act 2005. The main objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing the level of CFA members' participation in PFM activities in selected forests in Kenya. The study was undertaken on the Ontukigo and Ngare Ndare CFAs involved in participatory management of the Ontulili and Ngare Ndare forests respectively, located in the Eastern Conservancy, Buuri Sub County (Meru County) in Kenya. Semi structured questionnaires were administered to randomly selected 80 CFA and 80 Non CFA members. Participatory Rural Appraisal tools, including focused group discussions and community wealth characterization, were used to collect qualitative data for precise description of the quantitative data. The level of participation of CFA members in PFM activities was positively and significantly influenced by the level of perceived PFM benefits (χ 2 = 38.73, P=0.05); range of farm size (χ 2 =12.72, P=0.05); and nature of the head-of-household (χ 2 =29.99, P=0.001). As such, benefits gained from the forest play an important role as incentives to community participation in PFM.
Equity in forest resources access remains a key challenge. In Kenya this was exacerbated by the a... more Equity in forest resources access remains a key challenge. In Kenya this was exacerbated by the application of command and control management approaches. The introduction of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in 1997 has started changing this scenario. The main objective of this study was to determine the equity mechanisms practiced under Traditional Community Based Forest Management (TCBFM), a traditional form of participatory forest management in Loita forest. An assessment of the impact of this management approach showed that equity and pro poor practices were inherent in Loita forest, where TCBFM was being implemented. The approach facilitated the poor to build up assets through relatives contributing to their livelihood assets. This was sustained through traditional support systems that are interwoven with forestry management. A majority of the community members interviewed perceived that the importance of the forest to household livelihood had been increasing since 1995. An increase in household assets since 1995 was associated with household participation in Traditional Community Based Natural Resources Management (TCBNRM). A majority (93%) of the households who were members of TCBNRM indicated grazing as the benefit. There was a general perception that participation in this form of PFM contributed to improvement of economic, physical, natural, human, social, and political capitals at the household and community levels.
Forests contribute significantly to the livelihoods of forest adjacent communities. Under the Ken... more Forests contribute significantly to the livelihoods of forest adjacent communities. Under the Kenya's new Forest Act (2005), community participation in forest conservation is provided for through formation of Community Forest Associations (CFAs). This study focused on Ontukigo and Ngare Ndare CFAs involved in participatory management of Ontulili and Ngare Ndare forests in North Central Kenya. It aimed at identifying household factors associated with decision to participate in PFM and the differences between CFA and non-CFA members in their participation in forest conservation activities. Semi structured questionnaires were administered to randomly selected 80 CFA and 80 non-CFA members. Factors influencing household decision to join CFA included household size (, ), age (, ), number of cows (, ) and sheep (, ) owned by CFA (6.6) and non-CFA (4.2), farm size (, ) and forms of land tenure. Other factors included distance of homestead from forest (, ), sources of fodder (, ), acces...
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Papers by KAMENE MUSYOKI