Why protection of the environment should be a concern of all Kenyans

It is amazing how fatalistic some Kenyans have become. Most live recklessly and behave like automatons, easily manipulated by the scheming political class. On Monday this week, hundreds of individuals disrupted traffic flow at Limuru along the Nairobi-Nakuru road, ostensibly to protest against the ban on charcoal burning and transportation in Kitui County. If you ask me, only an ignoramus would believe such an act was spontaneous. As far removed from Kitui as Limuru is, inconveniencing innocent motorists was a manifestation of the chronic myopia that assails the average Kenyan, including those charged with leadership.

Kitui County falls under the classification of ‘semi-arid’ areas which, simply put, means that there is a paucity of water, which in turn hampers plant life. With the imposition of a ban on charcoal burning, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu has sought to salvage the few trees available in her county. Anybody with a modicum of astuteness, given the adverse weather effects - heat waves and drought that inhibit food production - should laud such an action. Unfortunately, intelligence is not a common attribute in Kenyan leadership, and the automatons that most Kenyans have deliberately chosen to become find it a drag.