{{Short description|Forest in Kenya}} thumb|260px|The Mau forest and some of the rivers originating there. '''Mau Forest''' is a forest complex in the Rift Valley of Kenya. It is the largest indigenous montane forest in East Africa. The Mau Forest complex has an area of {{convert|273300|ha}}.<ref name="IBA">{{Cite web|url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sites/index.html?action=SitHTMDetails.asp&sid=6441&m=0|title=Mau forest complex (Important Birds Areas of Kenya)|website=www.birdlife.org}}</ref>
The forest area has some of the highest rainfall rates in Kenya.<ref name="IBA"/> Mau Forest is the largest drainage basin in Kenya.<ref name="selfish">Daily Nation, July 22, 2008: [http://www.africanconservation.org/content/view/946/405/ Selfish interests threaten Mau forest] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123061311/http://www.africanconservation.org/content/view/946/405/ |date=2008-11-23 }}</ref> Numerous rivers originate from the forest, including the Southern Ewaso Ng'iro, Sondu River, Mara River and Njoro River. These rivers feed Lake Victoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Natron.<ref name="IBA"/> The western slopes of the Mau Escarpment are covered by the Mau Forest.<ref name="IBA"/>
== Ecology == Typical tree species in the Mau Forest include ''Aningeria adolfi-friederici'', ''Strombosia scheffleri'', and ''Polyscias kikuyuensis''. ''Olea capensis'', ''Prunus africana'', ''Albizia gummifera'', and ''Podocarpus milanjianus'' are also found there.<ref name="IBA"/>
Endemic bird species in the area include Hartlaub's turaco (''Tauraco hartlaubi''), Hunter's cisticola (''Cisticola hunteri'') and Jackson's spurfowl (''Pternistis jacksoni'').<ref name="IBA"/>
== Destruction == The forest has been traditionally inhabited by Ogiek people, whose hunter-gatherer lifestyle is sustainable.<ref name="IBA"/> However, due to immigration from other ethnic groups, large parts of the forest area have been cleared for settlement.<ref name="IBA"/> Human activities, especially logging, have led to deforestation of more than a quarter of the area since 1973.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iwgia.org/iwgia_files_publications_files/IA_4-06_Mau.pdf|title=MauForest: Killing the goose but still wanting the golden eggs|author=Kanyinke Sena|publisher=IWGIA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.ku.ac.ke/schools/engineering/images/stories/docs/publications/land_degredation_mau.pdf | title=Land Degradation of the Mau Forest Complex in Eastern Africa: A Review for Management and Restoration Planning| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014030917/http://www.ku.ac.ke/schools/engineering/images/stories/docs/publications/land_degredation_mau.pdf |archive-date=2021-10-14 }}</ref> This is due to the increased charcoal trade in places like Narok town and the supply of logs to saw mills in Baringo, Nakuru and Narok counties.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Charcoal-logging-wiping-out-Mau-forest/1056-4329818-cprtig/index.html|title=Charcoal trade, logging wiping out Mau Forest|website=Daily Nation|language=en|access-date=2020-02-18}}</ref>
In 2008, the inauguration of the Sondu-Miriu hydro power plant was postponed due to low water levels, that are said to be resulting from the destruction of the Mau Forest.<ref name="selfish"/>
{{see|Deforestation in Kenya}}
== Mau Forest evictions == In the summer of 2008 there was a political row over resettlement of people, who had been allocated land there during the KANU era during the 1980s and 1990s. Some of the settlers are famed politicians, like Franklin Bett and Zakayo Cheruiyot. In 2004 Paul Ndung’u released "Ndungu Report", which listed these land allocations, terming them illegal and recommended revocation of them.<ref name="selfish"/> Some evictions were implemented between 2004 and 2006, without a resettlement scheme.<ref>Amnesty International: [https://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR32/006/2007 Kenya Nowhere to go: Forced Evictions in Mau Forest Briefing Paper, May 2007]</ref>
On July 15, 2008, the then Prime Minister, Raila Odinga issued an order that the evictions be implemented by October 2008 in order to protect the forest from destruction.<ref>Capital News, July 15, 2008:[http://www.capitalnews.co.ke/Local/Raila-meeting-endorses-Mau-evictions.html Raila meeting endorses Mau evictions ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722131829/http://www.capitalnews.co.ke/Local/Raila-meeting-endorses-Mau-evictions.html |date=2011-07-22 }}</ref> The order has been opposed by number of Rift Valley area politicians, led by Isaac Ruto. Some politicians, led by Minister of Agriculture William Ruto, propose that if evictions are implemented, the government should allocate them land elsewhere.<ref name="selfish"/>
The evictions began in November 2009. Some prominent people are set to lose their land, including family members of former president Daniel arap Moi.<ref>Daily Nation, November 28, 2009: [http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/814144/-/item/1/-/n6gimaz/-/index.html Big names and soldiers next in Mau crackdown] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915190602/http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/814144/-/item/1/-/n6gimaz/-/index.html |date=2012-09-15 }}</ref> Also under threat is the Kiptagich Tea Factory owned by former president Moi.<ref>Daily Nation, December 22, 2009: [http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/829452/-/view/printVersion/-/10qvtnt/-/index.html MP vows to fight Moi eviction bid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192654/http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/829452/-/view/printVersion/-/10qvtnt/-/index.html |date=2016-03-03 }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== * Fuchs, Lisa Elena. ''A Political Ecology of Kenya's Mau Forest: The Land, the Trees, and the People'' (James Currey, 2023) [http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=59223 online]
== External links == * {{Cite web|author=Mau Forest Restoration Interim Coordinating Secretariat|year=2010|title=Restoration of the Mau Forest Ecosystem|url=http://www.maurestoration.go.ke/index.php/mau-at-a-glance|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100520014433/http://www.maurestoration.go.ke/index.php/mau-at-a-glance|archivedate=20 May 2010|url-status=dead}} * {{Cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.macofa.co.ke|title=Mau Forest Community Association (MACOFA)|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205012426/http://www.macofa.co.ke/|archivedate=5 December 2007|url-status=dead}}
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Category:East African montane forests Category:Forests of Kenya Category:Environmental racism