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The Africa Nature Organization (ANO) requested a meeting with the Kaya Fungo Elders to discuss progress of activities at the shrine and within the Kaya Fungo Forest Reserve. The Elders acknowledged our request and set the date of the meeting on Friday 23^rd June 2023 at 10.00AM.

We paid the Area Chief a courtesy call on the 23^rd of June 2023, before proceeding to the Kaya Fungo Shrine. Last year 2022, a group of youthful leaders staged a coup and ousted the Kaya Fungo shrine leadership. This is a cyclic occurrence every 5 years just before Kenya’s General Elections. The Chief had assured us that the conflict had not been resolved but there was no animosity between the two camps that had been in conflict.

The Kaya Fungo Elders were meeting for the first time at the shrine in over a year. We had a brief meeting at Tsangalaweni Site, just after the entrance into the forest. As we waited for those who had not arrived. This was also the site we could take pictures. Beyond this point, taking pictures and videos was forbidden.

As we waited for at most 4 Elders to arrive, the Chairman and Secretary used the occasion to brief the rest about our earlier meeting on 28^th February 2023. ANO was also invited to talk about climate change and introduced the energy saving cook stoves as one of the climate actions communities could take to reduce carbon emissions, reduce the use of firewood and charcoal leading to reduced destruction of forest resources and reduced respiratory diseases caused by smoke.

We then walked to the Kaya Fungo village within the forest. This was the site where several small huts were built and used by clans participating in various rituals within the forest. As we walked to the village, we observed various rituals and prayers, asking God to bless us, protect us from evil and bring more rains.

We eventually arrived at the village and began our meeting. The Secretary gave a brief of the status of the forest, the village within the forest and the conflict.

• There were houses they had built, several beehives placed within the Kaya Fungo Forest, beacons and utensils in the village had been vandalized by the rival group.
• The tree planting activities had stopped and some trees that had been planted last year had died because they were not taken care of.
• The rites, including clearing of the bush within the Kaya Fungo village had stopped.
• Community forest guards under the Kaya Elders had stopped working fearing for their lives.

Elders traced the source of the conflict and identified 3 reasons that had sparked the conflict.

1. Every political campaign period, politicians seek blessings from the Elders. These politicians are locals as well as from all over the country. Rival groups use this opportunity to make money from those seeking these blessings.
2. There are community members from within and from outside the community who have encroached into the forest. Those who wish to protect their grabbed land usually use these youthful leaders.
3. The rival groups vandalised the beehives claiming that no metal was allowed within the Kaya Fungo village and shrine. But this was not true as knives, machetes and utensils made of metal have always been used within the forest since time immemorial. 

The Elders observed that land on which 8 of their shrines had been grabbed and turned into farms. These are the various stop over sites during rituals. The grabbed shrines are Tiwi, Zia ra Ache, Mi Unda, Zia ra Alume, Ngoleni, Mirihi ya Kirao, Katsaka ka Anae, and Mtsara wa Kaya.

The Elders resolved to meet various Government officials to discuss the leadership conflict and the on-going encroachment of the forest land. ANO promised to facilitate the elders to convene and/or attend these meetings. They also resolved to complete these meetings before the end of July 2023.

 The Elders requested assistance to: -

a) Facilitate their movement as they meet various Government officials.

b) Review and strengthen the Kaya Elders group (registered with the Department of Social Services at the County Offices).

c) Revive some of their forest activities including beekeeping and forest patrols.

d) Establish a tree nursery.

 On their part, the Elders promised to revive their weekly meetings (Sunday), clean and cleanse the Kaya Fungo village, revive their seasonal rituals.

Links:

• Photo Album