Deputy Governor wants charcoal ban lifted

Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno has petitioned Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko to lift a moratorium on charcoal movement permits.

This follows an outcry from wattle tree farmers in the North Rift who said the ban had made their lives miserable as they cannot harvest their trees.

Mr Chemno spoke at his office yesterday during a meeting with Joel Lagong, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) board director. 

“In the next two weeks, I expect the CS to give direction on how charcoal from private farms should be moved. I feel the farmers are being (prevented) from reaping from their sweat. These people entirely depend on charcoal farming,” he said.

Review moratorium

The county boss said the CS should review the moratorium to address the concerns of farmers who depend on wattle trees.

The farmers, led by Joel Mudahana, said life is getting harder by the day because wattle tree farming has been their economic livelihood for decades.

“There are a variety of trees, especially on riparian areas, which are never cut, but I feel the government is punishing me from harvesting the wattle trees for charcoal burning,” said Mr Mudahana.

He added that the directive to ban charcoal movement is punitive and should be reviewed.

“I have never gone to the forest to burn charcoal; I depend on the trees in my farm. I am appealing to the government to look into this issue,” he said.

The deputy governor said the county is dedicated to achieving the 10 per cent forest cover goal.