Aberdare Circular Ecosystem Initiative (ACEI)

Why These Ecosystems Matter

The Aberdare Range is one of Kenya’s key water towers, feeding the Tana and Athi river basins and supplying water to millions across central Kenya and Nairobi. But, illegal logging, deforestation, and growing pressure on forest resources are steadily weakening its ability to perform this crucial role. At the same time, Lake Ol Bolossat, Kenya’s only high-altitude freshwater lake, is shrinking under the weight of siltation, human encroachment, and changing rainfall patterns. Without urgent intervention, the collapse of these ecosystems will not only be an environmental loss but a humanitarian and economic crisis in waiting.

A Ripple Effect Across Kenya

What makes this moment urgent is that these ecosystems are not merely landscapes; they are the foundation upon which thousands of lives, farms, water systems, and species depend. From endangered wildlife and migratory birds to rural households and downstream cities, what happens in the Aberdares and Ol Bolossat ripples far and wide.

Putting Communities at the Center

Yet, for decades, local communities have been left out of conservation narratives and treated as threats rather than partners. This exclusion has deepened poverty, undermined trust, and stalled progress. ACEI aims to reverse this trend by positioning communities not on the periphery but at the centre of restoration efforts.

A New Philosophy of Restoration

At its heart, ACEI is not just about trees, lakes, or climate. It is about justice, dignity, and balance. It’s a call to see environmental restoration not as a charity or a technical fix but as a moral and generational obligation. We believe the solutions lie in circular thinking: where nothing is wasted, nature regenerates, and every member of the ecosystem (human and wild) has a right to thrive.

A Call to Restore and Reimagine

The Aberdares and Lake Ol Bolossat are not lost causes. With vision, leadership, and local stewardship, they can become powerful symbols of what is possible when we care enough to restore what we have broken and imagine what we can still build.