State steps up efforts in North Rift to save forests

The Government has started to zone forests in North Rift in a bid to conserve water catchment areas.

This follows concerns over receding water levels occasioned by unsustainable forest harvesting.

Kenya Forest Service (KFS) North Rift head of conservancy Solomon Mibey blamed the deforestation on multi-national companies. He said the transnational firms harvest trees in the region's vast forests, leaving huge tracts bare.

"We intend to zone water catchment areas and plant indigenous trees only to ensure there is constant supply of water," he said.

Already, Mr Mibey said, trees have been planted on 1,200 hectares of depleted forest.

"We intend to plant over 30 million seedlings this year alone and ensure we increase the forest cover tremendously, thus boosting the water levels," he said.

Timber mills in the region have also established a kitty to boost reforestation, besides setting up tree nurseries.

Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos has warned that the rate of cutting down trees should not exceed the rate at which re-afforestation is done.

"Many rivers that pass through these forests are on the verge of drying up. This massive logging has destroyed the riparian areas," he said.

He said his government fully supports the shamba system of managing forests, saying it is an effective way of involving wananchi in conserving the water catchment areas.