•Kenyans for Green World founder, Omar Wako, said unknown people have been engaging in commercial logging and charcoal burning ferrying huge sacks of charcoal.
•He said many vehicles traverse within the Kinango remote areas carrying charcoal, believed to be transported to Mombasa.
Image: ALPHONCE GARI
Environmentalists in Kinango are alarmed over increasing illegal logging and charcoal burning amid drought in the area.
They are afraid, another disaster is about to hit the semi-arid region due to destruction by residents.
Kenyans for Green World founder, Omar Wako, said unknown people have been engaging in commercial logging and charcoal burning ferrying huge sacks of charcoal.
He said many vehicles traverse within the Kinango remote areas carrying charcoal, believed to be transported to Mombasa.
At least more than 1,500 bags of charcoal are transported daily.
“The Kinango-Mombasa road has about 15 trucks, and per day they carry approximately 10-15 sacks of charcoal,” he said.
Weko said the charcoal business has been thriving despite the ban and efforts of environmental conservation.
He termed the situation as hazardous to humans and wildlife raising fear, all vegetation will go extinct as illegal loggers and charcoal burners wreak havoc in exhausted Kinango forests.
He said the area is turning into a desert as rains fail due to the increased vice.
Last year, Kinango was among the areas adversely affected by drought.
According to statistics by Red Cross, more than 200,000 residents were affected and livestock perished due to hydration and hunger.
Almost 90 per cent of water sources completely dried up in Kinango, with Samburu area being the most affected.
Weko said more than 100,000 livestock died, resulting in a high rate of poverty.
He warned human-wildlife conflicts and acute hunger will rise if the situation goes unabated.
Last year, hyenas mauled two children to death and injured several others before attacking livestock at Baisa village in Kinango.
The wild animals had raided the village in search of food and water.
Weko spoke on Saturday in Moyeni within Kinango while launching the Kinango Semi-arid schools afforestation sensitisation programme.
The programme intends to plant one million trees in all Kinango subcounty learning institutions to help the government achieve 10 per cent forest coverage and food security in five years.
Kinango assistant conservator of Forest Simba Chengo Nyawa said the habit of illegal charcoal burning has been passed on to the younger generation.
He said school children have started the prohibited business whose main market is Kwale town.
Nyawa said in weekends and sometimes during school time hours children sneak in Kwale via forest shortcuts carrying small sacks of charcoal looking for customers.
He said Moyeni has the highest number of children doing the charcoal business.
Nyawa blamed residents for the increased vice and urged them to seek alternatives for livelihood.
“We are all responsible for the deforestation problem. It is time for us to embrace tree planting and devise new ways of earning a living,” he said.
The conservationists now want the national government to intervene before things escalate to the worst.
They said a huge portion of Kinango forests has been cleared and the remaining ones are on the verge of disappearing.
However, Kinango assistant county commissioner Charles Wanyonyi Wesamba warned the residents against illegal charcoal burning and trade.
Wanyonyi said they will crackdown on the prohibited charcoal business and perpetrators shall be brought to book and charged in court.
He urged residents not to cut any trees and if necessary one should seek licences from the KFS or respective authority.
“If you are found engaging in deforestation activities, stern legal action will be taken against you,” he said.
Wanyonyi warned parents whose school-going children sell charcoal in the streets and skip classes.
He said they will be apprehended and charged for child labour and denying children the right to education.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris