ACoH: MLTV 010/1: KAKAMEGA FOREST AGRICULTURAL CENTRE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, FOOD SECURITY EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

Kakamega forest is a rain forest the largest East African forest that used to stretch from Kenya to Democratic Republic of Congo now reduced to Kenya all the way to Uganda.
The forest including reserves encloses about 238 square kilometers, a little less than half of which currently remains as indigenous forest. The forest is elevated at predominantly between 1500 m and 1600 m above sea level. In the north of the forest is the 4,468 hectares (45 km2; 17 sq mi) Kakamega National Reserve, given national forest reserve status in 1985. Just to the north is the Kisere Forest Reserve. Throughout the forest are a series of grassy glades, ranging in size from about 1 to 50, with a few larger clearings. The origins of the glades are uncertain. Some are certainly recent clearings, but others predate recent records. These may have originated from past human activity such as cattle grazing or may be the result of herbivory and movements by large mammals such as buffalo and elephants (both now extirpated from the region). The glades vary a great deal in structure, some being open grass and others having a considerable number of trees or shrubs. A number of streams and small creeks run through the reserve. The larger creeks are usually bordered by a few to tens of meters of forest on either side which divide the glades, while the smallest creeks flow through open grasslands, often forming small marshy patches.
Kakamega rainforest is the only tropical rain forest in Kenya of the Guineo-congolian type that once stretched across from West Africa to East Africa.
The forest is penetrated by network of walking trails silent with only a melody of singing birds, whispering threes, rasp of butterflies as they fly on by, the chattering of monkeys, and gurgling streams nearby.