Turning prosopis into green jobs in Kenya

In Kakuma, Turkana County, Bajirenge Pascal Blaise and his group Rafiki wa Mazingira show how an invasive tree becomes a livelihood. Since 2021, the group has been harvesting Prosopis juliflora - locally known as Mathenge- and turning it into clean-burning briquettes. The venture protects local trees, creates green jobs, and opens up plots for farming.

With training from partners on safe carbonisation, curing and basic marketing, quality improved and demand followed; as Pascal puts it, the market is now “sawa”—steady.

The initiative is part of a wider ILO PROSPECTS collaboration with KEFRI and county governments across Garissa, Tana River and Turkana. Using the EIIP approach, communities are paid to clear Mathenge, reseed pasture and native trees, and build viable value chains—from briquettes and biochar, animal feed, poles, furniture and even honey.

Policy support and certification are locking in the gains, ensuring quality and market access. The result: practical restoration that puts decent income in the hands of refugees and host communities and turns an invasive species into a driver of greener local economies.