Two detained over illegal logging in Taita Taveta

Taita-Taveta, Kenya: Two people among them a village elder have been arrested and four tonnes of timber worth more Sh100,000 impounded in a major crackdown on forest poaching in Taita-Taveta County.

Police and Kenya Forest Service officials said a forest guard who is reported to be part of the ring escaped and is being sought.

According to the police and KFS officials, the suspects were arrested at the dilapidated 300 hectares Iyale government forest in Taita district with the forest materials.

Police said the suspects would be charged once investigations were complete.

Area OCPD Benjamin Muhia and KFS Inspector Ali Dzuya said security personnel impounded and detained a lorry that was to be used to transport the forest materials to an unknown destination.

Muhia said the suspects were given a permit to cut down trees at a farm in Choke village but were later found destroying trees in a government forest.

"We will charge the suspects with misusing the forest permit," said the police officer. Dzuya said that if it is established that the forest guard is involved in the forest scandal then action would be taken against him.

"The officer will be dealt with internally or criminally if found to have colluded with the suspects," he warned.

County Assembly Majority Leader Cromwell Baridi claimed that the real culprits had not been arrested. "The real forest poachers have not been arrested. Those arrested are innocent people. How can forest poachers enter into a government forest to cut down trees without the knowledge of the KFS," questioned the Mgange-Mwanda Ward Representative.

Baridi accused KFS of colluding with forest merchants to perpetrate environmental degradation in the region.

He claimed that unscrupulous KFS officials were colluding with influential timber merchants to deplete the environment with impunity.