Kenya Forestry Service board chairman Peter Kinyua on Monday raised the red flag over the destruction of Arabuko Sokoke Forest in Kilifi county.
The forest is the largest in East Africa, and is home to 20 per cent of Kenya's bird species, 30per cent butterfly species and at least 24 rare and endemic bird, mammal and butterfly species. It covers 420 square kilometres.
“This forest should not be destroyed. I have been following this matter seriously and thinking of what to do. It is a small forest and we must be able to protect it,” Kinyua said.
He was speaking at Ihaleni, Kilifi Creek, during the signing of the Kilifi Mangrove Forest Management Action. Kinyua was accompanied by board member John Miriti and deputy chief conservator Charity Munyesia.
He said they will ask the National Assembly Committee on Environment to review the Forestry Act.
“There is a problem with the Forest Act in that it has no stiff penalties, and if a person is arrested with [logs] he can just walk away,” he said.
According to the Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016, anyone who commits a logging offence is fined not more than Sh100,000 or imprisoned for six months.
