The prosopis juliflora locally known as “mathenge” is at risk of extinction if Cummins Cogeneration Kenya continues to cut down trees for power generation, government officials have said.
The officials were drawn from Kenya Forest Research Institute, Kenya Forest Service and the Environment ministry.
They put to task the manager of the Baringo-based Cummins Cogeneration Kenya, M K Kanyungu, at Soi Safari Club in Baringo on Tuesday at a three-day Second National Prosopis workshop over the use of mathenge to generate power.
Conservation Secretary in the Environment ministry Gideon Gathara said the clearing of mathenge trees for power generation may lead to its extinction.
He said the plant was introduced in Kenya from South Africa in the late 1980s to stop desertification.
“More research needs to be done to ensure the plant does not get extinct due to human activity,” said Gathara.
In response, Kanyungu said the company has been regulated and uses between 20 and 40 trees daily to produce 2.4 megawatts.
He said the power generated is sold to the national grid.
He said they have been harvesting trees within a 20-kilometre radius which is 20 per cent of the mathenge trees in the county.
Kanyungu said the plant grows rapidly and there is no way it will become extinct.
Among those who raised concerns were; Lecturer at the University of Nairobi Prof Raphael Wahome, project coordinator Prosopis Kenya Gabriel Muthuri, Kefri director Ben Chikamai, acting director KFS Emilio Mugo, Turkana county Environment executive Rodha Loyoh and the head of Conservancy Garissa Jamlick Ndampiri.
The Cummins power plant in Baringo is the only project in the country that uses mathenge to produce electricity,.
Mathenge is widespread also in Turkana, Tana River and Garissa counties.
Last year Garissa county gave Sh10million to destroy the fast growing tree.
