Ban on cedar and order to plant trees at the heart of saving Kenyan forests

Red cedar posts and logs from Aberdares forest

It will be illegal to cut or use wood from the cedar tree if the government approves a raft of radical proposals to protect the waning forest cover.

The proposals by the taskforce appointed by Deputy President William Ruto also want owners of any parcel of land above 10 acres to put ten percent under trees.

“In the short term, a total ban on the logging of cedar trees on public private and community land and a total ban on cedar products should be imposed immediately,” the taskforce said in a preliminary report.

The taskforce wants the government to encourage use of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) to reduce reliance on wood fuel and strict rules applied on firewood and charcoal burning.

Lifestyle audit

Kenya Forest Service Board Chairman Peter Kinyua also proposed a radical surgery of the Forest Service which he claims had been blind-sided by its management facilitating the destruction of the country’s forest cover.

“The Kenya Forestry Service Board has been alarmed by the continuous discovery of new information of mismanagement of forest plantation harvesting in the country. Management seems to have deliberately kept the board in the dark over the issue,” Mr Kinyua said.

He has called for a lifestyle audit on all officers as well as investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption into the loss of Sh40 million in Elegyo Marakwet and Sh39 million in Kericho.

“Part of the recommendations include, immediate lifestyle audit of all KFS Staff, prosecution of implicated staff and recovery of stolen wealth and immediate suspension of the Board of Directors of the Kenya Forestry Service,” the taskforce preliminary report reads.

The report has called for the transfer of KFS bosses to allow investigations to continue bereft of interference while keeping the junior staff intact to help trace the whole fraud.

If the recommendations are adopted, the beneficiaries of the status quo will have it rough as they stand to lose their logging licenses, will be subjected to audits and parcels of land that privateers had amassed would be returned under forest cover.

Forest zonation would be reviewed to establish a multi-uses buffer zone along the boundary. All plantations located outside the buffer zone would be converted to indigenous forests.

“The Ministry of Environment should immediately review and audit and where applicable suspend all private sector participation programme activities outlined in the forests including all permits licenses, bids, contracts, joint management agreements and concession agreements,” the report reads.

Government would also acquire land in critical catchment areas, a move that would lead to implementation of the plan that killed the prospects of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s popularity in the Rift Valley.

The taskforce proposes the judicious implementation of the 2009 report on the Mau Taskforce in consistence with emerging issues as envisioned in the Kenya water tower agency.