For generations, desperate farmers in Taita Taveta County have set forests ablaze, believing that smoke billowing into the sky will induce rainfall.
This long-held myth persists, particularly during dry seasons when rains are delayed, leading to widespread destruction of forests, which serve as water towers and habitats for critically endangered wildlife and plant species.
While recent scientific studies have debunked the myth, some still argue that smoke particles can act as cloud condensation nuclei, meaning water vapour condenses on them to form cloud droplets.
A 1929 study supports this claim.
