Protect forests after the lifting of caveat
By Editorial.Team, July 17, 2023The lifting of the ban on logging has exposed the greed of private and public sector players who have taken undue advantage to harvest trees in public forests indiscriminately.
Kenya has come a long way in its difficult journey of increasing forest cover. It has taken decades to register these gains and it is disheartening to see forests being destroyed just days after the ban on logging was lifted. One shudders to think what will happen in a few months if the trend noted in recent days is allowed to persist unchecked.
President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, have been urging leaders at home and abroad to be alive to the dangers posed by climate change. Yet one of the leading causes of adverse climate is the destruction of forests and other natural habitats that have provided ecological balance over the years.
It is, therefore, ironical, that these two leaders are overseeing the wanton destruction of forest, which is going against the stated aim of only harvesting mature trees to make forests sustainable.
Why are they allowing this unmitigated greed to pose a threat to Kenya’s fragile ecosystem and deny current and future generations the benefits of the country’s rich flora and fauna? Why can’t they order systematic harvesting of trees, if logging has to be allowed, or give a window after which the ban will be re-introduced.
At the present pace, there will soon be no public forests worth talking about in Kenya soon, and since those harvesting the trees are not required to plant new ones or sponsor greening activities, they will continue to make profits at the expense of other Kenyans.
In addition to the destruction of forests, there is also no clear understanding of who is being paid for these trees? Is there an auditable process to ensure that the government gets all the revenues it deserves or are there public officials who are cutting corners and benefiting directly?
Kenyans need to know how the revenue from the logging is channeled and the process needs to be open and transparent. In addition, the money or part of it, should be channeled to greening activities to make logging sustainable in the long run.
As it is now, there is a lot that is shrouded in mystery and it is not clear why there is such a mad rush to destroy forests and who is benefiting. Unless something is done now, Kenyans will live to rue the lifting of the ban very soon when the country becomes semi-arid under our watch.