Kaimosi: Kaimosi Friends University Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Mwita has highlighted some of the institution’s contributions to environmental conservation efforts around the county, working together with the county government in the implementation of various strategic plans for environmental sustainability. Speaking during the event marking World Environment Day at Kaimosi Friends University grounds, Mwita said that climate change was no longer a distant threat but was here with us, with evidence of it in Vihiga County ranging from changing rainfall patterns, declining water sources, biodiversity loss, and increased vulnerability of our communities.
According to Kenya News Agency, these realities demand a coordinated science-driven response, hence the launch of the Centre of Excellence in Climate Action and Research (CECARE), which signals the university’s determination in transforming challenges into opportunities through research, innovation, policy engagement, and community action. Professor Mwita detailed some of the progress made within the financial year towards environmental sustainability, including the planting of over 130 indigenous and exotic tree seedlings in Kaimosi forest and its surroundings, supporting reforestation efforts in Maragoli Hills in collaboration with Vihiga County government, Kenya Forest Service, and local community, and providing financial and material support.
He added that other efforts included prioritizing indigenous spaces to protect water catchment areas and enhance biodiversity. Mwita expressed gratitude to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) for donating the Kaimosi Wetlands area to KAFU for conservation, having planted around 62,000 trees this year against their usual target of 70,000 trees. The university has also engaged the community through the citizen science program, a science project led by physicists where technology meets the environment in continued efforts towards achieving environmental sustainability.
Professor Mwita revealed that the institution has been working closely with traditional leaders on environmental conservation issues, providing them with ideas to engage the community effectively. The KAFU citizen service program has shifted conservation from being a purely academic science to a community-owned movement, transforming the Kaimosi ecosystem into a living laboratory through conducting research to inform community solutions in water conservation, forest restoration, and climate-smart agriculture.
Mwita emphasized that environmental stewardship is becoming part of Kaimosi’s identity and urged the building of resilient communities to restore the environment and secure a sustainable future for generations to come.
