Efforts to restore the Mau Forest Complex have received a fresh boost with the unveiling of the second edition of the Mau Conservation Marathon, a partner-led initiative aimed at mobilising resources, raising awareness and accelerating ecosystem restoration in Kenya’s largest water tower.
Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr. Eng. Festus Ng’eno, who also serves as Patron of the Mau Forest Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme (MFC-ICLIP), announced the initiative during a media briefing in Nairobi.
He called on Kenyans, institutions and development partners to support the programme, which is designed to reverse degradation in the Mau Forest Complex while simultaneously improving livelihoods for communities living around the ecosystem.
Dr. Ng’eno noted that the Mau Forest remains a critical natural asset, supporting millions of livelihoods, sustaining agriculture, enabling hydropower generation and serving as the source of 12 major rivers and five lakes.
“Protecting and restoring this ecosystem is critical for Kenya’s environmental and economic future,” he said.
The 10-year Mau Forest Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme (MFC-ICLIP), estimated at KSh21 billion, brings together multiple stakeholders in a collaborative framework that integrates sustainable land management, livelihood improvement, environmental education, circular economy initiatives and research.
Since its launch in 2025, the programme has attracted 74 partners contributing more than KSh884 million, mainly through in-kind and financial support.
Restoration activities have so far covered 1,500 hectares, with 1.5 million trees planted and a reported 99 per cent survival rate.
According Dr. Ng’eno, community participation remains central through the Trees Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (TELIS), which allows households to grow food crops alongside tree seedlings. Over 4,625 households are currently benefiting across 657 hectares under the scheme.
The second edition of the Mau Conservation Marathon will be held on July 3, 2026, featuring four race categories: 42km, 21km, 10km and a 5km corporate run.
Prize money has been increased to a total of KSh7.8 million, with winners of the full marathon set to receive KSh600,000.
Organisers say the marathon is designed as a mobilisation platform that blends sport, awareness creation and resource mobilisation to support ecosystem restoration and community resilience.
Dr. Ng’eno said the initiative reflects a broader shift in conservation approaches, where ecosystem restoration is increasingly linked to economic empowerment, community participation and sustainable development outcomes.
Registration for the race closes on June 25, with organisers targeting 2,500 participants.
The programme also aligns with national and continental restoration frameworks, including Kenya’s 15 billion tree-planting ambition by 2032 under the African Landscape Restoration Initiative, which seeks to reverse deforestation, restore degraded landscapes and increase forest cover.
These efforts are part of wider commitments to raise forest cover from the current 8.8 per cent to at least 10 per cent, enhancing climate resilience, improving rainfall patterns and strengthening agricultural productivity.
Through collaborative action, the Mau Conservation Marathon continues to position conservation as a shared responsibility involving communities, partners and institutions working together to secure the future of the Mau ecosystem.
