Forest Day celebrations hampered by dry weather

Kakamega County Ecosystem Conservator Martin Mamati plants a tree at Ikonyero Secondary School to mark this year’s International Day of Forests. [PHOTO: ROBERT AMALEMBA/STANDARD]

Kakamega, Kenya: A tree-planting session organised by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) in Kakamega to mark International Day of Forests could not take place due to the dry conditions in the area.

KFS Head of Ecosystem Martin Mamati expressed fears the current global warming had affected the area's forest cover and called for heightened conservation measures.

"We have only planted two trees today because the ground is too hard. We hope to plant more trees when the rains begin, probably by Wednesday next week as the weathermen have predicted," he said.

KFS hopes to plant more than 497,000 trees in Kakamega Forest this season.

Mr Mamati also warned people against encroaching on the forest, saying the 32,712.6 square hectares was among the few remaining tropical rain forests in Africa.

"Forest fires have eaten close to 100 hectares of the forest cover this season, while illegal grazers, loggers and forest encroachment remain our greatest challenges," he said.

He warned that KFS would work with the county government to ensure encroachers and illegal loggers and grazers were arrested and prosecuted.

In the county system of government, some forestry functions were devolved to county level.

Mamati said KFS was working on a transitional plan so the county could take over the forest preservation role.

DIRECT CONSEQUENCE

The event, which is celebrated on March 21 each year, is aimed at appreciating nature.

This year's event was celebrated at Ikonyero High School, where County Director Alfred Mulamba expressed concern about the rate of forest reduction in the country.

"We are supposed to celebrate our forests on this day but we are mourning the death of our forests instead. There is no milk in the shops due to reduced pasture for our cows. This dry spell is a direct consequence of human activities," said Mr Mulamba.

Tree Biotechnology Programme Trust donated Sh38,100 towards improved eucalyptus seedlings, which will be sold to farmers in the county at Sh12 per seedling.