Wajir residents call for livestock restocking after quitting charcoal trade

Residents involved in the charcoal-burning business in Wajir County have abandoned the trade and are now seeking alternative sources of livelihood in an effort to protect and restore their grazing land.

Community members from Ganyure, Wagalla, Shanta Abaq in Wajir West Constituency, and others from Tarbaj Constituency, who surrendered their pangas and axes to the Rangeland Management Committees, are calling on the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the region to support them in finding alternative sources of income.

Ahmed Abdisalan, a resident of Shanta Abaq and one of the former charcoal burners, said the practice posed a serious threat to the fragile environment, which has been severely affected by recurring droughts.

"We decided to quit charcoal burning following sensitisation by the Rangeland Management Committee. We had been involved in the destruction of trees because we had no alternative source of income after losing our livestock to cycles of drought," he said.

He urged support from both the county and national governments, as well as NGOs, to provide them with alternative means of earning a living.

Ismail Yussuf, another resident who surrendered his tools to the committee, similarly appealed for assistance in securing an alternative source of income for his family.

"Charcoal burning has caused massive destruction to our environment. Circumstances forced us into it after losing our livestock to drought. My family needs food, and I have children in secondary school who need school fees. I would greatly appreciate it if the government and NGOs could initiate a livestock restocking programme to help us rebuild our livelihoods," he said.

Other residents from Wajir West and Tarbaj constituencies echoed the call for a livestock restocking programme to help them recover from their losses.

The Wagalla Ward Administrator, who is part of the Rangeland Management Committee—comprising county government officers, chiefs, elders, and officials from the Kenya Forest Service—commended the former charcoal burners for heeding their call to support the restoration of grazing lands.

"The charcoal burners were significantly involved in environmental destruction, posing a serious threat to an already fragile ecosystem," he noted.

Holding a handful of surrendered axes and pangas, he assured the community members that efforts would be made to help them rebuild their livelihoods.

Mohamed Macash Saman, Chairman of the Tarbaj Rangeland Management Committee, also praised the decision of the charcoal burners, who pledged to contribute to restoring and preserving their grazing lands.

He stated that the committee has launched an awareness campaign against environmental destruction to help mitigate climate change in the region.

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Speaking at Shomageri in Tarbaj, he emphasised the dangers of charcoal burning, which has led to the massive destruction of trees and frequent bushfires.

Samwel Embenywa, the Tarbaj Sub-County Kenya Forest Service Officer, commended the community's efforts to protect the environment from further destruction.

He noted that drought, combined with the extensive felling of trees for charcoal, posed a significant threat to the region's forest cover.