Forest agency nets Sh3b, targets Sh5b annually

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has collected more than Sh2.6 billion this year, even as it fights to remain under the national government. KFS Director David Mbugua said this year alone, the agency collected Sh2.6 billion from forestry and has set a target of about Sh5 billion annually.

Mbugua said due their effort in greening the country, the forest cover currently stands at seven per cent of the total national cover. “I laud the efforts by the private sector in tree growing as well as the newly launched Green Schools tree planting programme for accelerating the tree cover,” he observed.

Board Chairman Peter Kirigua said KFS is exploring areas of cooperation with the Israeli government in modern dry-lands forestry technology.

Ecological integrity

However, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural resources Dr Richard Lesiyampe warned counties that the management of forests will remain under the national government to protect their ecological integrity as a national resource.

Speaking during at KFS headquarters last week, Lesiyampe told the Council of Governors that it is the mandate of the national government to manage all forests as they require closer control and supervision.

“It is the duty of the national government to play a leading role in the leadership and support forest service programmes in order to achieve its mandate of sustainably managing the country’s forest resources,” said the PS in a speech Read by the Conservation Secretary Gideon Gathara.

The PS said the ministry is keen to ensure forestry is secured through proper policy formulation and legislation, adding that they have made progress in sensitising county governments on their forestry management roles to avoid friction between the two levels of government.

“The ministry is working to have new forestry legislation enacted with clearly defined forestry roles at both levels of government to avoid unprecedented scuffle,” he noted.

“Counties should facilitate not only identification and establishment of their own forest areas but also take up the role of forest extension services to farmers.”