This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
Located at the border of Nakuru and Narok counties, Logoman Forest has been a source of both blessings and curses for the surrounding communities. The forest's fertile soil and lush green pasture make it an attractive area for farming and herding activities.
However, the forest has also been a battleground for the communities, with ethnic clashes resulting in loss of lives and abetted cattle rustling. According to Joseph Kishoyan, a Maasai elder from Narok County, the clashes often start between two communities, but others are caught up in the crossfire, leading to a situation that often gets out of control.
The Maasai community, who are generally herders living in Narok North, consider the forest a key resource, especially during prolonged dry spells. Manyatas within the forest provide a safe haven for herders, who often live there for months before returning home.
Other communities, such as the Kalenjin and Kikuyu, also have a stake in the forest. Stanley Rono, a Kalenjin elder, said they grow a variety of crops in the forest under the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS), which was established to rehabilitate the forest after it was destroyed by illegal loggers.
James Kinyua, a Kikuyu elder, said that his community was allowed to farm in the forest while rehabilitating it, and as more people became interested in the fertile land, its name was changed to Witemere Forest (no man's land).
The Ogiek community also lays claim to the forest as their original home, but most have embraced modernity and live within the cleared forest area. Despite efforts to rehabilitate the forest, border clashes dating back to the early 1990s continue to occur every year, sparked by land ownership, political power struggles, and cattle rustling.
