President William Ruto on Monday lifted the logging ban in state forests across Kenya to allow for the harvesting of mature trees.
His argument is that the move will promote local industries and cut imports of furniture and other timber products. He said the move would put mature trees to good use instead of leaving them to rot.
While it's true that promoting the local timber industry would reduce the need for importing raw materials and finished products, this must be approached very carefully.
The dangers far outweigh the benefits, and there must be very clear guidelines that must be enforced to the letter.
Kenya has committed to planting 15 billion trees and achieving 100 per cent green energy by 2030. This, however, might not be attainable if the gains already made are eroded.
Loggers are known to collude with state officials to bring down immature trees whenever the ban is lifted, putting into question the government’s ability to control the exercise.
This reverses conservation gains, accelerates climate change, and increases flooding risks and landslides.
If the dangers outweigh the benefits, then the logging ban should continue to be in place to safeguard our future.
Quote of the day: “As long as one has a garden, one has a future. As long as one has a future, one is alive.” —British-American playwright and children’s author Frances Hodgson Burnett died on October 29, 1924
