[5]: 32–33 Soil erosion and landslides are ongoing concerns, as is the protection of the water supply and biodiversity, impacts on climate, and local livelihoods.
[2]: 11 The water towers store rainwater, enable regular river flows, recharge ground-water storage, improve soil fertility, reduce erosion and sediment in river water, and host a diverse species of plants and animals.The Embobut Forest has become the site of ongoing dissent and violent conflict over the ownership and use of forest lands.
During the NRMP period, Requesters claim that KFS participated in forceful evictions of Cherangany-Sengwer from Embobut in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013... in 2009... over 400 families were evicted and a large number of houses, belongings, and crops destroyed by forest guards, regular and administrative police, and Kenya Wildlife Service rangers to prevent people from returning into the forest.International and human rights organizations including the United Nations,[7] Amnesty International[8] and the Kenya Human Rights Commission recognize the Sengwer as indigenous peoples whose claim to the area goes back hundreds of years and who are potentially productive partners in managing their lands.
[14][15][4]: 22 [10]: 65–68 [13] As of 2016, the European Union supported a conservation plan for the area, with the goals of protecting the water towers and biodiversity, while still respecting the rights of the indigenous Sengwer people.
This resulted in renewed evictions and violence against the Sengwer, in which Kenyan Forest Service guards fired gunshots, burned homes and killed livestock.