Duale cautions KFS to ensure only registered saw millers access forest plantations
CS Duale warned against the harassment of KFS officials, urging them to focus on sustainable forest management.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has cautioned the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) against irregularly disposing of 5,000 hectares of forest plantations, urging strict adherence to the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015.
Speaking on Tuesday during the launch of the 2024 Forest Status Report, Duale reminded KFS officials that forests are public assets, not private property, and must be managed transparently.
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"Forests are public assets. They are not individual assets. And once it's a public asset, if it must be sold, it must be dealt with in accordance with the law," he said.
The event was attended by Forestry PS Gitonga Mugambi, Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko, KFS Board Chairman Titus Korir, and Kenya Forestry Research Institute Director Jane Njuguna.
Duale dismissed individuals lobbying for special access to the plantations, saying only registered saw millers would be eligible. He warned against the harassment of KFS officials, urging them to focus on sustainable forest management.
"Chief Forest Conservator and your team, we want Kenya Forest Service to be self-sufficient, we want Kenya Forest Service to contribute to the exchequer in our country," he said.
The CS highlighted the vital role of forests as water catchment areas, biodiversity hotspots, and carbon sinks, stressing the urgency of conservation efforts.
He reiterated the government's goal to plant 15 billion trees and restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded forests by 2032.
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