110 students from Kajiado County’s Environmental Protection Unit have graduated in what is dubbed as the Mazingira Unit pass-out parade.
The Mazingira Unit, in its commitment to fostering environmental stewardship, conducted an extensive training program focusing on Natural Resource Management policies, Environmental and Social Safeguard Frameworks (ESSF), and compliance standards.
The pass-out ceremony intends to celebrate the successful completion of the training program by acknowledging their dedication and commitment to becoming stewards of environmental conservation in Kajiado County.
28-year-old Hilda Simaloi who hails from Kitengela East says that the training was an eye opener in regard to conserving the environment.
Speaking on transition to the Mazingira Unit, Simaloi says that the community initially identified them as crude and rough owing to the fact that they were picked from the City Council Inspectorate.
“What I am hoping for and working towards is partnering with community members in this conservation journey. We come in peace, and we are now well informed on how to establish the Jaza Miti initiative that President William Ruto has initiated,” she adds.
In addition, she says that through the training, they have leant to treat the community members better, resolve conflict and handle troublemakers in a more civilized manner. “This has led the community to embrace and work with us.”
Simaloi, who is one of 10 other women who graduated, encouraged other women to keep challenging the glass ceiling so that more young girls can know that these opportunities exist, and they can pursue and excel in them.
On his part, David Ndari said that the training has really changed the mindset of the officers who were once part of the Inspectorate.
“We now have specialized training in handling environment issues, and we also appreciate the natural resources that our county has. In addition, we have realized that we have to work together with the community to green this county,” he says.
Ndari adds that organizations such as WWF-Kenya spearheaded training sessions that have led them to successfully conclude the 20-day training on natural resource conservation for the special unit on environment protection.
The training was also supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ): Masterplan for large-scale landscape conservation and sustainable development in Southern Kenya-Northern Tanzania.
The program is part of strengthening civil society in governance and participative coordination structures within the Amboseli-Chyulu sub-landscape, concentrating on enhancing sustainable management and conservation of natural resources in Kajiado.
Kajiado County Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, who presided over the pass out parade, says that the newly launched unit aims to reinforce the importance of environmental stewardship and compliance with policies and frameworks for sustainable development in Kajiado County.
“Through the Mazingira Unit, we shall mitigate the effects of climate change. The vision is to transform Kajiado into a sustainable county as we work towards the four prongs in the county which include modulated pastoralism, likable towns, climate-proof environment and globally competitive education,” he says.
Meanwhile, WWF-Kenya, in collaboration with the county government of Kajiado also launched the Entarara Forest Management Agreement between Entarara CFA and the Kajiado County Government, and the Kajiado County Natural Resources Network (KCNRN).
The Entarara Forest Agreement between County Government, Entarara CFA and the Entarara Forest Participatory Management Plan were developed in collaboration with the Entarara CFA, Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and Kajiado County Government, with technical and final support from WWF-Kenya, as part of the IKI_FLR project.
The agreement aims to boost community involvement in forest management and ensure sustained productivity and long-term sustainability.
The KCNRN, formed in 2022 with support from the IKI_FLR project, aims to enhance advocacy for sustainable natural resource management in Kajiado County.
The network’s thematic areas are wildlife & habitat management, governance, equity, and gender empowerment. It comprises 30 registered county based CSOs and it is a platform for scaling up restoration in the county.
