Baringo- July 9, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)
The Department of Environment and Climate Change is in Baringo County to benchmark on management of Prosopis juliflora (locally known as Eterae).
The learning exchange was jointly facilitated by the County and Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) through a partnership program funded by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Leading the team, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Environment and Climate Change, Anthony Apalia said that the visit provided valuable lessons that could be applied to Prosopis management in Turkana.
The team interacted with schemes for the manufacture of briquette and biochar production, beekeeping, animal feed formulation, aloe vera integration, and utilisation of Prosopis.
Additionally, they witnessed use of the invasive species for wood (posts and poles) demonstrating success in curbing the plant’s spread while generating green jobs.
“The best way to manage Eterae is by turning it into an economic resource. Value addition not only helps control of its spread, but it also creates livelihoods and promotes job creation,” remarked the CECM.
Originally introduced in the early 1990s for land reclamation in arid regions, this plant has since become invasive, currently covering over 361,000 hectares nationwide, with Turkana among the most affected counties.
Simon Soge, Assistant Regional Director, KEFRI, Baringo emphasized the importance of localized solutions and encouraged Turkana to adopt and tailor the national draft strategy on Prosopis management to its specific context.
The CECM reaffirmed Turkana’s commitment to translating the insights gained into concrete actions for sustainable environmental management.
The Turkana delegation include Hon James Ikeny, Chair of the County Assembly’s Environment and Climate Change Committee and Kanamkemer Ward MCA; Deputy Director for Environment, Pauline Pusiye, KEFRI Turkana Sub-Centre Assistant Regional Director, Patrick Mwenje.
The key stakeholders represented are SILO-Feeds, Songot Community Forest Association, Lopur Farmers Association, Nanam Aloe Group, Pelekech Environmental Group, Bidii Yetu Youth Group, Kakuma Bee Group, and Friends of Nature.
