PREFACE

Agroforestry has received much attention in recent development efforts in rural Kenya. This has been reflected in numerous projects during the last decade that were aimed at supporting the tree-growing efforts of local people. Several ministries have been involved, notably the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the Ministry of Energy (MoE), and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MoENR). The efforts of the various government extension services have been complemented by the non-governmental organization (NGO) community.

Two National Agroforestry Seminars were organized during the 1980s and at these occasions, as well as at numerous other workshops and seminars, the need for training and extension materials was stressed. The Second National Agroforestry Seminar, which was held in 1988, was co-organized by ICRAF within the framework of the Kenya Agroforestry for Development in Kenya project. This two and a half year project aimed at synthesizing experiences gained in agroforestry extension in Kenya and to develop relevant training materials for extension workers. An experienced project leader, Dr Amare Getahun, was hired and worked in close collaboration with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), and the Regional Soil Conservation Unit (RSCU) which is part of the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) office in Nairobi.

The main materials that resulted from the project are:

• A Selection of Useful Trees and Shrubs for Kenya: Notes on Their Propagation and Management for Use by Agricultural and Pastoral Communities, ICRAF, 1992.

• Agroforestry for Development in Kenya: An Annotated Bibliography, ICRAF, 1991.

Further efforts made by the ministries and KEFRI, in collaboration with RSCU, resulted in two other books published by RSCU:

• Curriculum for In-Service Training in Agroforestry and Related Subjects in Kenya, RSCU 1992.

• Guidelines for Agroforestry Extension Planning in Kenya, RSCU, 1993.

All the publications mentioned above are complementary to each other.

With the completion of this extension guide it is hoped that extension officers, both in government service and in the NGO sector, will now have access to a set of books that covers the field of agroforestry in Kenya. We hope that the books will prove useful to all extension officers in their vital work of helping the farmers and pastoralists who manage Kenya's land and vegetation resources.

At the time of writing (mid-1992), the US dollar was worth approximately KSh 30.