State finalises plans to lift government forests logging ban
By Clement.Kamau, May 11, 2023
The government has finalized modalities of lifting the six-year ban on logging.
Forestry Principal Secretary Ephantus Kimotho said the ban will be lifted soon in order to pave way for planting trees in government forests during the ongoing rains.
“We have exotic trees which are normally harvested upon reaching their maturity stage and those are the ones whose ban will be lifted so that others can immediately be planted during this rainy season,” he told the media at the KEFRI headquarters, Muguga in Kikuyu, Kiambu county yesterday.
The much anticipated lifting of the logging ban will be a major relief to saw millers and timber merchants in the country.
The PS flagged off 2.2 tonnes of tree seeds, which consisted of 100 different tree species and which will be propagated by Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETS) across the country.
“We are partnering with TVETs across the country to propagate and grow tree seedlings as a part of the country’s ecosystem restoration agenda,” said the PS.
He said the drive is aimed at expanding the country’s forest cover from the current 12.3per cent to 30 per cent by 2030.
Kimotho stressed the importance of growing trees to restore degraded landscapes and mitigating climate change. He said the initiative is a part of the government’s wider efforts to combat the effects of climate change and restoration of degraded landscapes through the African Landscape Restoration Initiative.
“The government’s commitment to plant and grow 15 billion trees is a significant step towards achieving 30 percent tree cover by 2032 and mitigating negative impact of climate change,” said Kimotho.
The PS also commended KEFRI scientists for their efforts in developing new technologies to increase forest cover.
KEFRI director Joshua Cheboiwo revealed the institution has 120 metric tonnes of tree seeds in storage and ready for distribution countrywide.