Woodfuel Resources and Their Utilisation in Mt. Elgon and Cherang'any Hills Water Towers of Kenya

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the households’ woodfuel sources and their utilisation technologies in Mt. Elgon and Cherang’any Hills Water  Towers in Kenya. The two ecosystems were purposively sampled based on various factors, which included diverse ecological conditions  and population densities. A total of six counties out of the eleven were sampled based on homogeneity to the ecosystem.  The most  notable reasons for preferring certain species over others were: species availability, fast growth, good burning characteristic, provision  of good timber, and ease of propagation among others. The paper concludes that most households in Mt Elgon and Cherang’any Hills  water towers depend on woodfuel for their energy requirements and exotic species were the most preferred. Therefore, there is a need  to domesticate national legislation to enhance sector sustainability.