How an idealistic tree-planting project turned into Kenya's toxic, thorny nightmare

Introduced from South America, mathenge was intended to halt desertification, but now three-quarters of the country is at risk of invasion by the invasive treeFor his entire life, John Lmakato has lived in Lerata, a village nestled at the foot of Mount Ololokwe in northern Kenya's Samburu county. "This used to be a treeless land. Grass covered every inch of the rangelands, and livestock roamed freely," he says.Lmakato's livestock used to roam freely in search of pasture, but three years ago he lost 193 cattle after they wandered into a conservation area in Laikipia - known for the fight over land access between Indigenous pastoralists and commercial ranchers. Continue reading...