• Kenya has 2.5 million hectares of gazetted Forests.
• Some 345,947 acres (140,000 hectares) of natural forests heavily degraded, affecting water towers.
Image: Gilbert Koech
The Kenya Forest Service cannot rehabilitate 345,947 acres of heavily degraded natural forests on its own, Environment CS Keriako Tobiko has said.
Tobiko on Thursday said KFS can only rehabilitate 12,355 acres in five years.
"We have 2.5 million hectares of gazetted forests in Kenya out of which 140,000 is heavily degraded. Most of these natural forests are water towers for Kenya and the region," Tobiko said.
He spoke at Trademark Hotel in Nairobi during the launch of “Greening Kenya Initiatives”.
The campaign aims to grow and nurture and avail to local communities 50 million trees.
It is part of the government’s efforts to rapidly move towards achieving the constitutional target of 10 per cent national forest cover by 2022.
Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, UN resident coordinator for Kenya Siddharth Chartterjee, and UNEP director and regional representative for Africa Juliette Biao were present. Environment PS Ibrahim Mohamed and correctional services PS Zeinab Hussein were also present.
Greening Kenya Initiatives is led by the State Department of Correctional Services of the Ministry of Interior in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of National Youth and Gender affairs, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme.
Tobiko said Kenya has 18 gazetted water towers.
"Only one, the Aberdares, is fenced while Eburu and Mount Kenya are partly fenced. Others are neither surveyed nor fenced and are heavily encroached," Tobiko said.
He said plans were underway to gazette another 70 water towers. He attributed drying of rivers to the encroachment of water towers.
"We need to secure natural forests, they are the lungs of our existence," he said.
The CS said restoring degraded forests "requires collaboration and huge investments that are beyond government's capacity. He said there was a correlation between forests and the Big Four agenda.
He said President Uhuru Kenyatta has issued directives on how forest cover will be enhanced. All schools must put 10 per cent of their land to forests before each student is allowed to adopt at least five trees.
Other directives, Tobiko said, include the integration of environmental conservation and climate change in the curriculum.
"Every ministry department and agencies of government should dedicate 10 per cent of their corporate social responsibility budget to tree planting programmes," Tobiko said.
County commissioners have asked to ensure five million trees are planted every year in their regions. He said a national tree planting campaign will be held every year to raise awareness.
Tobiko asked organisations to adopt the 370 gazetted forests for regeneration purposes. At least 360 million seedlings need to be planted every year if forest cover is to improve, the CS said.
Matiang’i said Greening Kenya Initiatives caucus will soon be launched to link none state actors with the initiative.
"Institutions doing well and the counties will be recognised," Matiang’i said, adding there was no time to mourn or complain about lost opportunities.
He said 8,500 sublocations with teams and sites will be utilised alongside schools.
Industrialist Manu Chandaria pledged Sh2 million support. Communication Authority of Kenya and Energy Regulatory Authority pledged Sh1 million each.
Biao asked the government to make use of UNEP offices based in Nairobi.
Colombia ambassador Elizabeth Taylor said her country, with 52 per cent forest cover, was ready to share lessons with Kenya.