Plan underway to deal with massive deforestation, says Ruto
Deputy President William Ruto speaks during the launch of the Forest Resources Management and Logging Activities Task Force at his Karen office on March 5, 2018. He said a plan is underway to deal with massive deforestation which had wiped out more than 500,000 acres of exotic and indigenous forests. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Mr Ruto said the government will ensure the constitutional 10 per cent threshold of forest cover is achieved before 2030.
DP also directed the taskforce to come up with intervention measures including investigating viability of continuous planting of exotic trees.
- Mr Tobiko said the task force had been mandated to deliver its preliminary report within 14 days and final report within 30 days.
Thousands of forest settlers and industries depending on forests may bear the biggest brunt in a plan to save the country’s depleted tree cover.
Deputy President William Ruto said a plan is underway to deal with massive deforestation which had wiped out more than 500,000 acres of exotic and indigenous forests, degraded water catchment areas, leading to water rationing across the country.
“We know to be able to achieve proper management of our forest resources, some sacrifices have to be made and the government is prepared, willing and able to make those sacrifices,” said Mr Ruto who was speaking at his Karen home Monday after meeting members of a task force to review forestry management and Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko.
He added: “We understand that there is a huge industry built around our forest resources that employs Kenyans and provides business, but if the recommendations will include asking industries to look for alternative sources including importation or plantation farming, those recommendations are welcome.”
ILLEGAL SETTLERS
He promised that should the team recommend eviction of illegal settlers, it will be done within the constitutional and other legal framework.
Mr Ruto said the government will ensure the constitutional 10 per cent threshold of forest cover is achieved before the 2030 set target.
The DP also directed the taskforce to come up with intervention measures including investigating viability of continuous planting of exotic trees inside gazetted community and government forests, re-introduction of shamba system to mobilise Kenyans to plant trees and strengthening of community forest associations.
“I have told the task force that this is not a PR exercise. In the past, we’ve had exercises that end up being photo opportunities. The task force has a very clear mandate with close to 120,000 acres of plantation forests that have no trees. We have almost a similar acreage of ingenious forests without trees and we another almost three million acres of land where trees need to be planted,” he added.
REPORT
Mr Tobiko said due to the environmental crisis facing the country, the task force had been mandated to deliver its preliminary report within 14 days and final report within 30 days.
“Time is not on our side and I have no doubt whatsoever that this task force has the capacity and will and ability to deliver within the time,” he said.
The team, he said, will also look into existing legal frameworks, including the forest Act and others, to ensure punitive measures are put in place to address various environmental challenges facing the country.
The task force chairperson Marion Kamau said her team will collect views from the public, religious groups, civil societies, diplomats and other interested stakeholders in coming up with recommendations.
“We are going to make sure even those who depend on forests for their livelihoods are taken care of. Nobody will be left suffering,” she said.
