Mombasa environmentalists have faulted the lifting of a six-year moratorium on logging by the government saying it will claw back on gains made on environment conservation.
Speaking on Molo on Sunday, President William Ruto lifted the ban on logging because mature trees were decaying in the forests while they can be harvested and others planted.
The environmentalists said the government’s move will put the country’s forest cover at risk as the directive may be misused. They appealed to the government to rescind its directive since tree cutting will destroy the ecosystem.
“In Kenya climate change was exacerbated by illegal logging to the extent of wreaking havoc on our environment. Our forest cover is supposed not to be less than 10 or 15 percent but it reduced to five percent, the forest cover has been increasing because of the banning of logging and people have embraced tree planting,” said Dr Edwin Muinga HSC, Chairman of Clean Mombasa CBO.
The environmentalists thanked the President for being at the forefront of advocating for environmental conservation, green energy, and climate change since he took the reins of power.
The President, Dr Muinga said, is seen as a champion of green energy but his directive on lifting logging will dent his image and may discourage Kenyans from conserving the environment.
He added that businessmen will take advantage of the lifting of the ban to “do business and benefit themselves at the expense of the environment”
Dr. Muinga further revealed that there are plans for the establishment of a nuclear plant in the Coast region.
He said, “there are plans also to set up a nuclear plant in either Tana River or Kilifi, but all these will accelerate global warming.”
Clean Mombasa CBO is a volunteer environmentalist who sensitizes the residents and the government on environmental conservation, the importance of tree planting, and climate change.
They urged Kenyans to continue with tree planting to conserve the environment.
