Kenya has told the COP31 talks in Turkey that invasive plants are eating into the drylands that feed its herders. Dr Margaret Kaigongi, a Senior Research Scientist at the State Department for Forestry, spoke at a side event during the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) in Antalya, Citizen Digital reported. She said invasive species are changing dryland ecosystems and making rangelands less productive.
She named three main threats: Prosopis juliflora, known locally as Mathenge, Lantana camara and Opuntia species. Mathenge now covers 23 of Kenya's 47 counties, including Baringo, Turkana, Isiolo, Garissa and Tana River. It was first brought in to help rehabilitate land and provide fuelwood. It has since spread out of control, pushing out indigenous plants and shrinking pasture. It also blocks livestock movement and makes it harder for communities to reach water.
Kaigongi said these plants put extra pressure on communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy landscapes. She added that Kenya is not alone. Namibia, she said, had also shared how it is responding to bush encroachment, and countries could learn from one another.
Kenya is pursuing landscape restoration through the Global Environment Facility's GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme and through work with the International Labour Organization. The approach combines physically removing invasive plants, replanting indigenous vegetation, involving communities and selling the harvested biomass. Mathenge can be turned into charcoal, fuelwood, poles and timber. That gives communities income and a reason to clear it.
Kaigongi said pastoralists, women, young people and Indigenous Peoples must help design and run restoration programmes. She said the real test is whether productive landscapes, biodiversity and livelihoods recover.
Kenya has a National Strategy and Action Plan for the Control of Prosopis juliflora covering 2025-2035. The strategy estimates that using Mathenge biomass, mainly for charcoal, could generate about KSh 54 billion a year. Citizen Digital noted that success will depend on implementation, enough funding and real improvements for affected communities.
Kaigongi spoke at a technical roundtable on scaling proven dryland solutions. It was part of a special event hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with Turkey.