Agricultural Expansion and Intensification in the Foothills of Mount Kenya: A Landscape Perspective

Over the past three decades, agricultural expansion and intensification in the northwestern foothills of Mount Kenya have significantly altered landscapes, with rainfed and irrigated cropland encroaching on natural habitats, including protected areas. While expansion peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, intensification—driven by both large-scale commercial investments and smallholder adoption of irrigation—has accelerated since 2000. Using Landsat data and random forest classification, researchers quantified these changes, revealing a landscape increasingly shaped by water availability and horticultural agribusinesses. This shift heightens pressure on water resources and exacerbates conflicts between pastoralists, farmers, and wildlife, particularly during dry seasons or droughts.

Eckert, S., Kiteme, B., Njuguna, E., & Zaehringer, J. (2017). Agricultural Expansion and Intensification in the Foothills of Mount Kenya: A Landscape Perspective. Remote Sensing, 9(8), 784. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9080784