One of the main components of the Kenya Indigenous Forest Conservation (KIFCON) programme, as originally designed, was to prepare a multi-disciplinary national inventory of Kenya's indigenous forests; the Phase I document drawn up in late 1990 stated that this should include ecological, hydrological, timber, non-timber and socioeconomic studies. The Overseas Development Administration (ODA) approved funding for a five-year Phase II programme in December 1992, at which time final production of the national inventory was rescheduled for completion during that second phase. In early 1994 it was decided ti\at Phase II would not in fact go ahead; but it was considered that the studies already carried out, although not complete, justified collation into a publication for wide circulation.
The present document, which has resulted from that conclusion, has two main purposes:
- to provide an overview of the current status, use, value and management of Kenya's indigenous forests; and
- to act as a helpful tool in the process of improving their conservation and management
Already much of the information contained herein has been included in the Kenya Forestry Master Plan documents, published in late 1994.