Melia Volkesii: Termite-resistant, multipurpose tree under threat

Kenya South Kitui melia popular for timber.

Jonathan Kituku has been watching helplessly as diseases ravage his 30 hectares of melia volkensii, a highly prized dryland tree with multiple uses.

Kituku who hails from Kibwezi, Makueni County, relies on growing, and selling poles from the trees to state corporations for electric and postal poles. But diseases known as fusarium wilt and colletotrichum leaf bright, are threatening the growth of this indigenous tree species.