Environmentalists in Mombasa have condemned a plan by the government to lift a six-year moratorium on logging saying it will roll back gains made on environment conservation.

Led by the chairman of Clean Mombasa community based organisation Edwin Muinga, the activists faulted President William Ruto declaration that the ban will be lifted.

Speaking in Molo, Nakuru County on Sunday, President Ruto said the ban on logging will be lifted because mature trees were decaying in forests.

Muinga said the government’s move will put the country’s forest cover at risk as the directive is likely to be abused.

He added that businessmen will take advantage of the lifting of the ban to “do business and benefit them at the expense of the environment.”

“Our forest cover is supposed not to be less than 10 or 15 per cent, but it has been reduced to five per cent. The forest cover has been increasing because of the ban on logging and people have embraced tree planting,” said Muinga.

The ban on logging was imposed in response to alarming rates of deforestation in the country.
Muinga, however, hailed the President for being at the forefront in advocating for green energy and the fight against climate change since he took office.

He said the latest directive would, however, dent his image and may discourage Kenyans from conserving the environment. Muinga also criticised plans to establish a nuclear plant in the Coast region.

“There are plans to set up a nuclear plant in either Tana River or Kilifi. This will accelerate global warming,” he added.