Some of the residents in Kaptagat, Uasin Gishu county are against the conservation of Kaptagat forest due to the fear of the risks which may be caused by wild animals after they are introduced in the forest.
The farmers fear the possible destruction of their crops by presence of wild life in the forest since the forest is near their residential areas. According to Kelvin Kiprop, a farmer in the area, presence of wildlife will cause losses by destroying their maize crops being the main plantation in the area.
"Creating awareness on the importance of conservation of Kaptagat forest to the local community will motivate the local residents and therefore ensure their participation in the conservation process," Sharon Meli, an ecotourism graduate said with regards to these concerns.
Sharon says that conservation will involve strategies on how to mitigate negative impacts caused by the wild animals therefore the community members should not worry. This arises as the county government is planning to conserve Kaptagat forest making it available for future use to avoid over-exploitation of natural resources in the forest.