• Also targetted for conservation are wetlands.
• Illegal structures in such areas have to be demolished and the destructive trees removed
Image: FILE
Kisii residents have until the end of this month to remove all eucalyptus trees from riparian land.
Those who fail to comply will have themselves to blame, the county government has said. It will fell their trees at their own cost. Governor James Ongwae issued an executive order to this effect on July 1.
Also targetted for conservation are wetlands. Illegal structures in such areas have to be demolished and the destructive trees removed. The order was issued in line with the Environmental Management and Coordination Act, 1999.
On Monday, Energy and Natural Resources chief officer Charles Nyakweba said they are ready to implement the executive once the deadline passes.
“The county government had given residents 90 days to willingly cut down the eucalyptus trees from water catchment areas as they negatively affect groundwater level. In realising President [Uhuru] Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda, reclaiming our water sources and protecting the rivers will go a long way in achieving food security for all,” he told the Star at his office.
Nyakweba regretted that many rivers, streams, springs, wetlands and catchment areas in the region have been filled with bluegum eucalyptus trees, which consume large volumes of water and release a chemical into the soil, hence destroying other plant lives.
He said Governor Ongwae will launch the conservation exercise on Thursday. The department has formed committees at the county, subcounty and ward levels to oversee the process. The trees have been blamed for a rise in widespread water scarcity.
Nyakweba said officers in charge of implementation have been trained and worst-hit areas surveyed and mapped. Publication participation is underway.
“We involved stakeholders drawn from various departments, including Public Health; Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development; the Water Resource Users Association, the National Environment Managing Authority, forestry, the office of the county commissioner, subcounty commissioners chiefs and their assistants, village elders and even members of Nyumba Kumi,” he said.
He expressed concern that the presence of temporary and permanent structures on riparian land is contributing to river pollution. Solid waste is dumped and raw sewage released into rivers.
“The county government, working together with security personnel under the leadership of the county commissioner, is determined to remove all eucalyptus trees on riparian land and other fragile ecosystems. All structures on the riparian land will also be demolished. I urge residents to replace the water guzzlers with suitable indigenous trees, natural vegetations or fruit trees like avocado, loquat or guava,” the chief officer said.
If the order is implemented wholly, all homesteads and facilities such as schools and hospitals will have constant water supply, he said, adding the alternative tree species will boost the cottage industries in the long run.
(Edited by F'Orieny)