Mokogodo Forest

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The Mokogodo Forest is one of the rare indigenous forests to have survived the process of 'civilisation' and non-coordinated 'human settlement' efforts. The forest stretches about 30,189 hectares and covers the Siekuu river catchment area, which flows north from Laikipia into the neighbouring Isiolo district. The forest area was originally demarcated in 1937 by the colonial government as Crown forest and the people living inside granted rights of access.

The Mokogodo Forest Reserve was re-gazetted in 1963 as a Central Forest under the administration of the District office in Nyahururu. The purpose of management was purely protective as forests were rapidly being destroyed there. The Mokogodo Forest has over time been used for dry season grazing for wildlife and cattle, a source for herbal medicine in addition to traditional honey production by the locals. Today Mokogodo is one of the richest reserves of some of the nationally cherished tree species for example Cedar, East African olive as well as many others. The forest resources have co-existed with numerous Maasai households who inhabit some of the open patches in the forest or the neighbouring four group ranches namely Il N'gwesi, Lekurruki, Makurian and Kuri Kuri, this is a unique phenomenon in Kenya. The Mokogodo offers fantastic hiking trails and chance for the visitors to see how the local Masai live in the forest as well as mingle and get to know more about the Masai culture.

Over time, the human interface has greatly interfered with the natural course of species succession and differentiation to an extent of negatively shifting the balancing forces within the different production systems in the ecosystem. Briefly, this interface can be broadly summed up as co-existence of man and forest. Prior to the 19th century, the Mukogodo Maasai characterised by the different groups including Iloshon, Mukogodo, Ilngwesi, Ilmumonyot, Ildigiri and Illeuwaso who all co-existed with the vegetation in the forest as hunters and gatherers with defined grazing corridors.