Rich people have taken over charcoal trade in Kitui, CEC

Rich traders have taken over charcoal burning in Kitui county, causing serious deforestation, Environment executive John Mwendandu has said.

It is no longer true that charcoal burning is carried out by the poor to make ends meet.

“There is a common believe that charcoal is produced by the poor or people of low means as a coping mechanism. But the situation on the ground is different. It is being done by the rich who use powerful and destructive power saws,” Mwendandu said.

He described a power saw as a very destructive tool that can decimate a five-acre forest in just a day.

Convoys of lorries belonging to affluent charcoal merchants daily deliver tons of the commodity from Kitui.

“We are felling more tree for charcoal than we are planting and growing. We have a weak Charcoal Act that was passed in 2014 that does not spell any sanctions or penalties for those doing charcoal production illegally,” the CEC said.

The Kitui County Charcoal Act 2014 is in the process of being amended to ensure the trade is in the hands of the poor and that the use of power saws is regulated.

“We will have to change the law and bring in amendment to ensure power saws were specifically used with approval. The law will spell out penalties for any violation,” Mwendandu said.

The new law will seek to protect indigenous trees that for years have been revered by the residents but have in recent times been cut down with impunity for charcoal burning.

Kitui forests conservator Charles Kavithi last week during the International Forest Day commemorations at Kalivu called for concerted efforts to save forests.

Blaming wanton destruction of forests on charcoal burning, Kavithi urged sustainable utilisation of especially indigenous trees that take many years to mature.

“Charcoal is not bad. In fact, charcoal is good for roasting the nyama choma delicacy. All we need is sustainable utilisation of our trees so that they can benefit us and the generations to come,” he said.

Coordinator of the Nature Positive project of the NCCK, Andrew Nyamu, said his group hopes to plant at least 100,000 trees in Athi ward project area to mitigate the effect on wanton charcoal burning.

“We have enlisted 2,160 households in our tree planting programme.  We undertake to plant and grow at least 100,000 trees within the project area. Each household will plant 80 ordinary trees and 20 fruit trees,” Nyamu said.