Restore Kaya: Amplifying Indigenous Kaya Voices through Policy and Science towards creating a climate resilient community

Seven Kaya Forests in Kilifi County are designated as UNESCO world heritage sites owing to their rich cultural heritage and practices, that for generations, kept the forests well preserved. The dual pressures of modernization and poverty has led to loss of respect and appreciation of the Kaya culture, especially among the younger generations, and massive encroachment into the forests for illegal logging, agricultural practices and land grabbing. The ‘Restore Kaya’ project aims to amplify Indigenous voices and practices through policy and science to create an enabling environment for local Kaya communities to conserve and benefit from their immense natural resources.

The project objective is to enable Indigenous Kaya Forest communities in Kilifi, to conserve and benefit from their forest resources through strengthened respect and appreciation, capacity enhancement and effective governance to adapt and build resilience to climate change.

The project aims to achieve the following impacts:

1. Piloting 3 co-created interventions that supports Kaya elders and community in climate resilience, directly benefiting 150 people.
2. Awareness creation in 3000 people across Kilifi communities, broadening the understanding of the Kaya heritage and the importance of forest restoration.
3. Strengthened appreciation and respect for Kaya elders, their cultural heritage and the invaluable Indigenous knowledge they hold.
4. Integration of climate resilient practices into county policies, furthering the region’s capacity to adapt the challenges of a changing climate

Project Status

During the first months of implementation, the project focused on establishing the foundations for effective implementation. Two new project staff were recruited, including a community liaison officer based in Kilifi to support close engagement with Kaya communities. Following consultations with the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) and local elders, Kaya Chivara was selected to replace Kaya Rabai Muzimuvya due to governance and community acceptance challenges at the original site. The project has also done stakeholder analysis and mapping across Kilifi County and the three target Kaya forests, which will inform participation in policy engagement, co-creation and implementation processes. Gap analysis and capacity needs assessment tools, including KAP analysis tools, have been developed and the results will be used to guide upcoming community surveys and training design. A policy review has been initiated to identify gaps in the management and conservation of Kaya forests, with the first policy workshop planned for August 2026. In June, BGCI Africa and National Museums of Kenya staff received co-creation training from BGCI global education team. This training has prepared the team to facilitate participatory workshops with Kaya elders and communities to develop EbA intervention menus and select pilot EbA interventions which will be done in August 2026.

Project Achievements

1. BGCI Africa staff and NMK staff training on co-creation and beginning development of the co-creation plan for the local communities.
2. Initial policy review and gap analysis.
3. Selection of Kaya Chivara as the replacement site.
4. Introduction of the project to the main Kaya community stakeholders in the three project sites.
5. Hiring 2 new project staff.