In response to the concerns raised in previous editions of Cultural Survival Weekly Indigenous News, World Conservation Union (IUCN) Regional Director for Eastern Africa Dr. Eldad TUKAHIRWA provides a detailed account of IUCN’s involvement in the Loita/Purko Naimina Enkiyio Forest Integrated Conservation and Development Project.
The Loita/Purko forest (the Naimina Enkiyio Forest, "forest of the lost child") is both a sacred forest where traditional Maasai ceremonies are carried out, and the home of the Chief Laibon, the senior religious leader of all Maasai. The forest is largely intact with special biodiversity and socio-economic values which have persisted under the traditional management, but because of emerging threats to the forest, the traditional management system needs to be strengthened to secure the integrity of the ecosystem—critical to the livelihood security of the Maasai and their livestock.
Project Objectives
The project’s goal is to facilitate a process whereby the Loita and Purko Maasai communities, who live in or around the Loita/Purko Naimina Enkiyio forest, will own and manage the forest sustainably to maintain the biodiversity and environmental products and values, as well as provide for the cultural, spiritual, and socio-economic needs of the people.
IUCN’s role is to provide technical and management support and build capacity in partner and associated institutions for the duration of the project and to help build a management unit which will continue the process beyond the project period.
IUCN does not buy or own, nor does it intend to own, land or ecosystems of any nature, including that of the Loita/Purko Naimina forest. From IUCN’s perspective, there will not be any evictions of people from the forest. The issue of residence, occupancy and use of the forest and surrounds will be debated by the local people of the forest who will develop the regulations that they want.
Consultation process
The project concept originated in 1993 when IUCN was asked by a community delegation to assist the people of Loita to secure their ownership of the Naimina Enkiyio forest, since the Narok County Council had publicly announced that it would gazette the Loita/Purko Naimina Enkiyio forest as a reserve, thereby extinguishing the traditional property rights of the communities. In 1994 IUCN sent an advisor to the area to develop a proposed solution that seemed to be agreed by all the local people consulted. It was not until 1998 that IUCN eventually secured funds to prepare that proposal, which was assessed and discussed by various groups from the forest and surrounds until there was agreement that the proposal satisfied the wishes of all on the ground.
In early 2000, IUCN discussed the proposal again with the representatives of the forest people, and an agreement was reached to go forward with the proposal and seek funding from donors. The donor negotiation process was protracted, until eventually in October 2003 a project for a three-year period was approved. IUCN then informed the Maasai communities that the project had been funded and that the implementation process could now be initiated and requested their consent to do so, as well as their involvement to elect the project’s Board of Governors.
Project Management
The Board of Governors – with a majority representation from the forest communities, as well as representation from the Ministry of Finance, the Forest Department, the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Narok County Council, the European Commission (Observer), IUCN and the project Technical Advisor and Project Manager –will provide policy guidance and oversee project implementation.
A Project Executive Committee – composed of two elected representatives of forest communities and senior project staff – will be responsible for day-to-day project management and implementation on behalf of the Board of Governors, as well as provide necessary linkages with other collaborating agencies and local communities.
Agreement between the Maasai communities and IUCN
At the moment of commencement of the project, disagreements emerged among several groups of Maasai forest users with different views on the conduct of the project, which led to incidents and a subsequent stop of the project. IUCN once more initiated a consultation process and held several meetings with the various parties concerned, culminating in a "consensus building" gathering at Naivasha (neutral ground) on Monday, July 26, and Tuesday, July 27, 2004. Thirty-six representatives from the various groups from the forest area attended this meeting, which was led by a well-known and experienced negotiator and conflict resolution specialist. Other participants included the representative of the European Union and a person from a civil rights non-governmental organization as well as representatives from ECOFORUM and the Loita Development Forum, and another 50 people from the forest area.
The meeting resulted in a shared will to move forward to discuss the contentious issues and to begin the project soon. The parties also agreed to develop a task force of representatives from "all sides" to consider the several points of contention between the different interest groups and to look again at the composition of the Board of Governors of the project. The groups also agreed to stop the spread of mis-information and to ensure that only the truth about the proposed project was promoted in future. IUCN remains committed to assisting all concerned parties in developing a viable solution for the forest to remain a resource that is managed sustainably by the Loita and Purko communities under their own traditional institutions and resource rights.
Dr Tukahirwa can be contacted by writing to the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Africa, PO Box 68200, Nairobi, Kenya or via e-mail at emt@iucnearo.org
