Deputy President William Ruto on Monday launched a 10 member multi-sectoral taskforce that will review forestry management across the country.
Ruto told the taskforce headed by the Green Belt Movement chairperson Marion Wakanyi Kamau when he met them at his Karen office, Nairobi, that sacrifices must be made to restore the lost forest cover in the country.
To attain 10 percent forest cover, we must make hard choices such as banning human activities and encroachment in forests. Involving communities in reafforestation and increasing resources for forest management will address water scarcity and help realise food security. pic.twitter.com/G26qbcdD91
— William Samoei Ruto (@WilliamsRuto) March 5, 2018
He said the taskforce, which will present its interim reports in 14 days will among others recommend ways of conserving heavily depleted forests in efforts to attaining the Constitutional threshold of 10 percent forest cover in the country.
Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko and Principal Secretary Charles Sunkuli were also present.
The Deputy President said the taskforce would also give recommendation on the importance of working together with communities living around forests to conserve and restore the water catchment areas.
“This taskforce has a clear mandate. We have close to 120,000 plantations that have no trees. We have another similar of indigenous plantations that have no trees. There is also 3 million acres of land that need to be planted with trees. The taskforce has a duty to tell us and recommend to the Government on how all deflated areas are planted with trees,” said Ruto.
“We want to hear from the taskforce if it is tenable to continue having plantations inside gazetted forests or relocate outside gazetted areas. These are among the options we expect this committee to give us within the stipulated period,” said Ruto.
He said the taskforce was also expected to come up with recommendations on how to raise more resources for better management of the forests and environment.
“But we want to make it absolutely clear that we are ready and willing to make tough sacrifices if the taskforce recommends tough measures to be taken to recover the lost forest areas,” said Ruto.
Ruto said the Government would do everything it could to ensure the exercise doesn’t become a Public Relations (PR) one as has been in the past.
“In the past, some people launched such exercises by simply going to the forest areas, plant some few trees and that becomes the end of the story. We will not do that,” said Ruto.
He said the Government’s plans to have a 10 percent forest cover by 2030 was still on course, saying the efforts were part of the measures being undertaken to mitigate climate change.
He said different corporate sectors, Kenya Forests Associations and Community Conservation groups would work together to plant more indigenous trees including in 120,000 plantations that have no trees as a measure to boosting the forest cover in the country.
He said the Government was committed to working closely with communities and ensuring there were enough seeds for them to establish tree nurseries in their farms.
Ruto, at the same time, said those focusing on his 2022 presidential bid can turn the gesture to forest conservation bid so as to attain the forest cover of 10 percent.
“The ongoing focus on my 2022 presidential bid can be turned to a crusade of attaining 10 percent forest cover by 2022. It will greatly help reclaim our forest cover, “said Mr Ruto.
Tobiko said the formation of the taskforce followed last week’s ban on logging in all public and community forests by the Deputy President.
“We have formed the taskforce following your directive last week. You instructed me to institute it within seven days but I have done it within three days because of the seriousness of the matter,” said Tobiko.
“This taskforce will coordinate stakeholders’ engagements as well as undertake fact-finding survey on forest resources,” he added.
He said he was optimistic that the taskforce will come up with lasting solution to the problem, saying they had support in terms of resources and political goodwill from the leaders led by President Kenyatta and the Deputy President.
Ms Kamau thanked the Government for giving her the opportunity to chair the taskforce, assuring that the composition of the team comprised individuals who were committed to forests conservation.
She said the ban on logging and the subsequent formation of the taskforce showed that the Government was committed to conserving the water catchment areas.
“I want to assure the Government that we will work with other stakeholders including members of the public on how our forestry resources can be well managed to avert desertification in our country,” said Ms Kamau.
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