President William Ruto has announced plans to fence off the Kaptagat Forest Ecosystem as part of a broader initiative to protect all state forests across the country.

Speaking during the 9th edition of the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme (KICP) in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, the President said the government will mobilise resources to secure the forest which is a key water catchment area.

He noted that as an important ecosystem and water catchment area, the forest needed to be protected from illegal activities while giving the local community access and an opportunity to continue with their conservation and livelihood activities as espoused in the participatory forest management plans and agreements.

The President also led the growing of over 400 avocado seedlings at the school and issued 50,000 avocado seedlings and 100,000 coffee seedlings to farmers as part of a programme meant to diversify their sources of income and improve their livelihoods.

While addressing the public, the President said that the country needed to grow her forest cover in order to forestall the negative effects of climate change.

He applauded the whole government, the whole society approach led by the environment ministry that has seen the growing of over 840 million trees in the 15 billion tree growing campaign.

Speaking at the event, Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said the ministry was at the forefront of forest restoration and conservation in a bid to make the country achieve environmental and economic sustainability.

She thanked the Patron of KICP and PS for Treasury Chris Kiptoo for the programme that she noted was not only conserving a critical water catchment area but also improving the livelihoods of the local community.

The event was preceded by a tree growing exercise at Kipkabus Forest Station, where over 60,000 seedlings were planted on 34.5 ha.