- In Aberdares alone, the raging flames destroyed over 40,000 acres of the moorland and are reported to have started on February 6.
- Other ecosystems such as Mau Complex have also experienced such fires.
Wildfires that have been ravaging the Aberdares ecosystem have been put off.
This is even as an expert, who requested anonymity, heaped blame on authorities for allowing a huge influx of people into the forest resources.
“Forest resources support millions of Kenyans. They are however being threatened as a result of allowing a huge number of people to access them during the dry season,” he said.
In Aberdares alone, the raging flames destroyed over 40,000 acres of the moorland and are reported to have started on February 6.
The National Youth Service, the Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service, Rhino Ark-funded Aberdare Joint Surveillance Unit, and community volunteers have been battling the raging flames suspected to have been started by arsonists.
Other ecosystems such as Mau Complex have also experienced such fires.
KWS acting Director General Erustus Kanga on Thursday said measures have been put in place to build the capacity when it comes to confronting fires.
Kanga was on Thursday presiding over a senior assistant directors' workshop that is ongoing at the Law Enforcement Academy in Manyani.
“The workshop will help strengthen wildlife field management systems and effectively manage the adverse effects of climate change - drought on our wildlife and their habitats,” he said.
Kanga said the workshop's objective is to cascade the KWS strategic plan and wildlife conservation and management Act.
Ecologists say such fires may have killed animals, birds, rodents and invertebrates—all of which are important to the ecosystem.
The ecologist said without snakes, rodents can easily spread diseases to people living near Tsavo.
As fires spread, animals move to secure territories, where they can interact with people.
Bush fires also destabilise the ecosystem.
Dik diks for instance, normally move in pairs, a male and a female, and if one of them is burned, the remaining one will die as a result of stress as it will not get another partner.
The Aberdares fires must have killed birds and other invertebrates in the soil.
Invertebrates are crucial in soil aeration as well as in recycling nutrients.
Rehabilitating such landscapes is a hard task.
Ecologists say altering the ecological functions of an ecosystem will come with dire consequences such as impacts on rainfall and climatic patterns.
Controlled wildfires can however be useful in the control of ticks as well as in ensuring that new and fresh grass grows.
Every time bushfires occur, herdsmen, honey harvesters and charcoal dealers are often blamed.
Forest-adjacent communities have also been accessing medicines, berries and bush meat.
According to Kanga, the drought has been pushing some people to try and access forests with their livestock.
This has however not been witnessed in Aberdares and Mount Kenya.
However, it has been witnessed in Chyulu, Tsavo West and Tsavo East.
Kanga said the local communities were being engaged as they are the best partners for the services.
Kanga said fire incidents have been experienced in Ruma National Park, Hell’s gate, Mount Kenya National Park and Mount Elgon.
“We have however managed to suppress fires in Ruma, Hell’s gate and Mount Elgon,” he said.
Kanga said they have been doing their best to manage the situation with the little resources they have.
He said the emergency kitty is helping the service deal with the inferno.
The acting DG said the service is working hard to put up firebreaks, especially in Aberdares which is most affected by the fire.
On Thursday, the expert said it does not make sense to allow 100 people to access forest resources, particularly during the dry season and deplete benefits for millions by starting forest fires.
“We need to revisit the management of our forest resources.”
He added, “We have not properly managed our forest resources. Allowing everything to happen during the dry season is a no-go zone.”
The expert said between Sh20 million and Sh30 million have been used to put off the fire in Aberdares.
On Wednesday, the Environment ministry said it has moved in to ensure long-lasting solutions to forest fires that have continued to wreak havoc in the country.
The ministry has entered into a partnership with the government of France to ensure the respective departments across the different forest ecosystems are equipped with modern firefighting satellites and facilities.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said this will enable KFS to detect early warning signing and prevent any possible fire outbreaks.
“The forest fires crisis is taking a toll on everybody currently and we are at a point where we are fast losing our already degraded forest cover and ecosystems,” she said.
She added, “We can be able to do early detection of the fires and respond accordingly but the situation at the moment is under control, however, we have new fires that keep coming up every other day.”
-Edited by SKanyara