Joram Kagombe Experience

• Deputy Regional Director, Central Highlands Eco-region Research Program,
• Coordinator of KEFRI component of Kenya Water Towers Climate Resilience project in conjunction with US Forest Service. Main output was Total Ecosystem Service Valuation for Mau, Cherangani and Mt. Elgon,
• Coordinator of Participatory Forest Management approaches in KEFRI,
• Chairman Technical committee that organized KEFRI conference, 2018,
• Leads consultant in British American Tobacco on farm tree appraisal, 2017,
• REDD+ consultation and participation working group member involved in consultation and participation, benefit sharing and SESA,
• Working group committee member in KAPSLMP that is piloting PES in Sasumua,
• Development of Forest Ecosystem management plan for Nandi, Kakamega and Cherangani ecosystems,
• Team Leader KEFRI component in STAKE project in Conjuction with Wangari Maathai Institute and University of Copenhagen, Denmark,
• Consultancy services to Green belt movements on setting up payment for ecosystem incentives model in Gura and Sagana,
• Lead consultant in updating Participatory Forest Management Guidelines and participatory Forest Management plans manual for Kenya in 2015,
• Trained 100 PFM practitioners in Upper Tana,
• Organized 2^nd Participatory Forest Management Conference held in KEFRI Muguga in 2014

• Project Coordinator for KEFRI component of GEF MKEPP Project, funded by UNEP through KWS. Project aims at improving livelihood through sustainable conservation efforts
• Coordinating PFM approaches in KEFRI

• Project coordinator for KEFRI component of Forest Rangelands Rehabilitation and Environmental Strengthening initiatives (FORREMS ) project. Project carrying out interventions aimed at strengthening systems of natural resource management by the stakeholders. Interventions in the area of natural resource inventories, rehabilitation of degraded sites, natural resource planning, participatory forest management and promotion of nature based enterprises. Project goal was to improve livelihood of participating Maasai community through participatory forest management.
• Organized the 1^st National PFM conference for Kenya to share experiences in PFM in June 2007.
• Engaged stakeholders in improving practice of PFM in Kenya
• Reviewed shamba system as plantation establishment method in Kenya to PELIS (Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme)
• Developed training manual in Participatory Forest Management and carried out capacity building for 150 officers
• Developed participatory forest management plan for Mukogodo forest reserve

• KEFRI lead person in development of project proposal and work plans for the institute interventions in the(FORREMS. Have worked closely with other implementing partners, Forest Department, Kenya Wildlife Service, African Wildlife Foundation and USAID in elaboration of the project concept as well as development of the proposal and workplans. Have been KEFRI representative in monitoring and evaluation committee of FORREMS
• Conducted field appraisal on the state of knowledge on Boswellia species and commercialisation of frankincense in Kenya.
• Conducted a field appraisal on the profession response to ban on timber harvesting in Kenya: management socio-economic impacts and implications. Study was a joint effort of FD and KEFRI
• Conducted a Rapid Field Appraisal on the role of forest adjacent communities and Ngare-Ndare trust in the management of NgareNdare forest Reserve . Joint effort of KEFRI and FD

• Seconded to Arabuko Sokoke Forest management and Conservation Project as Forest Management Coordinator. The specific assignment was to lead in development of a strategic forest Management plan for the forest and a participatory forest management plan for one area of the forest where participatory forest management was being piloted. The strategic forest management plan was successfully developed and published in April 2002.
• Planned and conducted 12 workshops as the process of developing the strategic forest management plan. The workshops covered thematic areas on; visioning workshop, forest zonation, ecotourism and education, problem animal control, biodiversity conservation, subsistence use of the forest, commercial use of the forest, infrastructure development in the forest, human resource development, forest protection, research and monitoring and final workshop to present the plan.
• Gave technical advice in the piloting of participatory forest management in Dida area of Arabuko Sokoke Forest where the communities have advanced in the area of participatory forest management to an extent where they have developed a community based forest operational management plan.
• Managed to work with multiple stakeholders involved in management of Arabuko Sokoke Forest namely Forest Department, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forestry research Institute, National Museums of Kenya, local community and NGOs
• Supervised the integrated activities of ASFMCP especially those dealing with income generation activities like ecotourism, bee keeping, butterfly rearing and agroforestry
• Participated in National workshop to harmonise partnership in participatory forest management held in Nairobi in November 2001.
• Developed proposal on Arabuko Sokoke Community Based Conservation Initiatives that has already been funded by Biodiversity Conservation project, EU.
• Participated and presented a paper during national workshop for setting up Criteria and Indicators for sustainable forest management held in Nairobi in May 2002.

• Participated as a member of the taskforce appointed by the policy liason committee on forest management to review the implementation of non resident cultivation in Kenya. Report published and a number of recommendations being implemented.
• Lead scientist in community participation in conserving and protection of forest resources as one way of reducing desertification along Tarach riverline forest, Turkana District. This was a project funded under Desert Margin Programme (DMP) within Convention to Combat Desertification (CBD).
• Lead scientist in development and promotion of commercial woodlots in subdivided ranches in Laikipia district. This was a project funded under Laikipia Research Programme.

• Two years of research in GTZ/KEFRI/Forest Department Project on Promotion of Sustainable Forestry Management (PSFM). The main area of research was Development of alternative Site preparation and Tending Methods that are applicable, cost effective and can lead to higher growth and survival of planted seedlings

• Six years of research in Forest Products Research Programme. Work undertaken include, Survey of techniques used in forest harvesting and related constraints, Cost and productivity study of harvesting methods used by Pan African Paper mills (P.P.M) logging unit, Properties of Eucalyptus Saligna that affects its use as a transmission pole and development of Kenyan catalogue of commercial exotic and indigenous species.

• Attended four months training on wood based materials application technology in Nagoya, Japan.

• 2019 – 2020: Deputy Director, Socio Economic and Governance and Chief Research Scientist
• 2018- 2019: Regional Director Central Highlands Eco Region Research Programme
• 2014 – 2018: Deputy Regional Director, Central Highlands Eco Region Research Programme and Principal Research officer in KEFRI.
• 2004 – 2007: Coordinator, FORREMS project
• 2016 – 2019: National Chairman, Forest Society of Kenya
• 2014 – 2016: Nairobi Chapter Chairman, Forest Society of Kenya