Three senior officials of the Kenya Forest Service were suspended on Thursday in the wake of a crackdown on illegal logging.
They are accused of
being behind a charcoal selling syndicate that is contributing to massive destruction of Dakatcha Woodland Forest in Magarini, Kilifi County.
They reportedly issued permits to charcoal transporters despite the ban imposed by the government last month.
The three are also accused of being the masterminds of a chain of cartels involving the community, businessmen and government officials.
Monica Kalenda, who is acting KFS Chief Conservator of Forests, said the officials were ordered to step aside for investigations.
An acting Ecosystem Conservator was appointed as the office holder was among those punished.
Kalenda made the announcement after touring the area and holding a series of meetings with top KFS county officials, following
complaints.
For the past two weeks, there were reports of a large number of trucks were seen transporting charcoal from Dakacha Woodland in broad daylight.
Reports indicate that Dakatcha Woodland, a community forest being manned by the county, has lost 20,000 hectares of land in the past 10 years. It is also said that more than 2000 hectares are destroyed each year through charcoal burning.
Journalists came face to face with the reality of the destruction during an aerial surveillance tour of the forest.
The forest, which is currently under threat of extinction, is classified as indegenious.
During the tour, active charcoal burning sites with hundreds of sacks and trucks were spotted
Kalenda reported that harvesting, transportation and all other activities in the forest were stopped.
“We are taking the matter very seriously so as to achieve the 2022 deadline of improve forest cover from the current 7.2 percent," she said.
The officials said the decision to suspend the three came after an assessment of the forest."
"The county does not have the capacity to handle the issue," she said, adding more officers will be deployed to carry out a major crackdown alongside security agents who are on the ground, the goal being to eliminate cartels.
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'WELL-ESTABLISHED CARTEL'
Kalenda also announced the rehabilitation of degraded forests in the county, noting outcry by conservationists about activities in Dakatcha.
Francis Kagema, the Nature Kenya Coast regional Coordinator, termed the destruction devastating.
He said the rate of extraction has increased tremendously since many counties banned the trade.
“We have seen lorries from as far as Limuru coming for charcoal in Dakatcha. There is a well-established cartel which highjacked the charcoal association. This cartel has business people who are working with government officers and politicians. It has been very difficult to control charcoal production in Dakatcha."
Dakatcha is community land which partly falls in Galana ranch, which is government land.
In a statement, Kagema said the traders hired a large number of workers from all over the country..
“A recent estimate showed there were 8,000 workers in the forest. Since the lifting of the moratorium, we have seen convoys of up to 50 lorries carrying at least 100 bags each.
"In these two weeks, my estimate is that at least 10,000 bags have been moved mainly to Nairobi. It’s good that the KFS Director has focused her attention on Dakatcha after a 12-year cry. Endangered weaver birds can now breathe easy. Their home may be saved," he added.
Kagame said the size of Dakatcha is not clear but the important bird area was initially 32,000ha.
After a review of important areas, he said the size increased to 186,000ha, 92,000ha of which was forested.
“In the last six years, [a large chunk] of the forest has been lost to charcoal and shifting cultivation. A fresh survey is required to confirm how much of it is left. My estimate is that less than 20,000ha of real forest are left."