Endowed with substantial commercial gold deposits and possibility of rare earth minerals, Kakamega County in western Kenya faces the risk of turning into a wasteland as land set aside for crop farming is turned into idle spaces by artisanal miners.

Consequently, scientists want the miners to commit to rehabilitation of the soil to prevent long-term impact of uncontrolled mining by planting bamboo trees.

In 2021, Shanta Gold, a gold mining and exploration firm with interests in Kenya and Tanzania, announced the discovery of more gold deposits in Kakamega, western Kenya, valued at Ksh164 billion ($126.7 million) from 1.31 million ounces of deposit approximated by the firm.

The viability of the gold discovered at Isulu in Kakamega covers 1,162 square kilometres, which represents majority of the highly prospective and underexplored greenstone Archaean Busia-Kakamega Gold Belt in western Kenya.

Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) scientist Bernard Yegon says bamboo trees absorbs toxic chemicals released into the soil as a result of mining activities. He said that once planted, the trees will help in restoring soil structure and communities can use the trees for other economic activities.

Yegon was speaking on Thursday during the KEFRI Kakamega Sub-Centre Open Day, where the organization showcased various technologies.

Assistant Director of KEFRI, Lake Victoria Basin Eco-Region Research Programme Leila Ndalilo noted that the organisation conducts proper site-species matching on tree growing to ensure the right trees are planted in the right areas.

She also said that scientists always carry out soil testing to ensure the soil where trees are planted is ideal to support tree growing activities and to supplement the efficient nutrients in the soil.

“We provide continuous technical backstopping to tree growing activities on farmlands with an aim of making farmers depend on their farms for trees and tree products and reducing the pressure of over exploitation in the natural forests among other forest ecosystems,” she added.

Ndalilo also noted that KEFRI has done extensive research and identified technologies to manage the invasive species like the Guava, Cestrum and Dodder within the Kakamega Forest.

“Dodder is a thread-like parasitic plant that wraps around host trees attaching to them and extracting nutrients. With time it weakens and kills the host,” she noted.

She said, “The first remedy we encourage is physical removal of these species but we also have biological control methods, like for the Guava we recommend growing alongside Harungana madagascariensis species as a biological control.”

The KEFRI Director also said that the organisation has developed technologies for propagating Mukombero herbs to enable farmers to use the propagation techniques to plant in their farms for sustainable utilisation to reduce exploitation pressure on the natural forest.

“We have also developed technologies for integrated pests and disease management, we train farmers on how to control these pests and diseases using biological control methods, using preventive measures and also using some bit of chemical control measures,” she explained.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / by Moses Wekesa

The Assistant Regional Director of the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), Lake Victoria Basin Eco-Region Research Programme, Dr. Leila Ndalilo speaking to KNA during the KEFRI Kakamega Sub-Centre Open Day held on Thursday, May 15, 2025.

Photo 2: Bamboo trees on display during the KEFRI Kakamega Sub-Centre Open day held on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Photos by Moses Wekesa.