Reviving Ecosystems, Restoring Livelihoods: How Native PEP is Transforming Lives of Communities in Baringo County

Amid the arid plains and resilient communities of Baringo, a quiet transformation is underway; led not by machines, but by the people who are rediscovering the native species that once thrived on this land. Thanks to the project Native Plants for Environment and People (Native PEP), local communities are reclaiming their degraded environment from invasion by stranglehold species, especially Prosopis juliflora, and restoring balance to nature.

According to Dennis Rotich, the Assistant Chief of Loboi Location, the unchecked spread of prosopis had turned once-productive landscapes into thorny wastelands. “Prosopis had invaded much of the lowlands around Lake Bogoria, including Kiborgoch community wildlife & wetland conservancy, making it hard for people, livestock, and even wildlife to move or graze,” he lamented. The growing dense thickets blocked traditional livestock routes, depleted pasture, harbored disease-causing parasites like tsetse flies, and inflicted painful injuries on animals.

The invasive tree also narrowed access to water and farmland, posing significant threats to food security and livelihoods. “Its roots choked canals and waterways, making irrigation difficult. The cost of removing prosopis was far beyond what most farmers could manage,” Rotich added. Moreover, prosopis reduced water inlet to a swamp of regional importance which offers water access to more than 10,000 pastoralists and their livestock throughout the year.

The Native PEP’s intervention involved targeted removal of prosopis, restoration of canals, and the revival of water springs through community-led protection efforts. These actions have already yielded measurable results. “Before the removal, there were high levels of human-wildlife conflicts. Wildlife would invade farms looking for food and water,” the chief shared. “But now, with more pasture and water inside the conservancy, wildlife remain within their habitat.”

Cases of crop damage and livestock attacks have significantly dropped. Springs that were once drying up are now flowing again, enlarging nearby swamps and supporting diverse life; both human and wild.

Livestock, once highly vulnerable during dry seasons, are now better equipped to survive. “Before, animals suffered due to lack of pasture and diseases spread by flies. But now, with increased forage and reduced disease pressure, we are not losing as much livestock,” Rotich said.

The Native PEP intervention has also supported the protection of key springs, particularly the peatlands—wetland areas with thick, waterlogged soils made up of partially decomposed plant material (peat), which store vast amounts of water and carbon. These peatlands are now feeding into expanded swamp areas. “This has brought more water not just for biodiversity but also for irrigation; especially in Kamuskoi and Loboi. It’s improving food production and livelihoods,” Rotich noted.

The success of Native PEP in Baringo is rooted in its community-driven approach. By involving local leaders, elders, women and youth, the project has fostered a strong sense of ownership and sustainability. It’s not just an environmental initiative; it’s a social and economic one, restoring dignity and opportunity to a region long burdened by ecological degradation.

Chief Rotich inspirationally concludes, “With the support of Native PEP, we’ve seen the swamp grow, the pasture return, wildlife stay where they belong, and our people benefit. This work needs to continue.”

By Simon Njoroge

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