Kalua call for overhaul of KFS over inefficiency in protecting forest encroachments

Conservationist and the Green Thinking Action Party of Kenya leader Dr. Isaack Kalua Green has called for the immediate overhaul of the Kenya Forest Services (KFS) citing inefficiency and inability to protect the country’s forests from encroachments and involvement in selling indigenous trees for profit.

According to Kalua, president William Ruto’s call for the growth of tree cover in the country will remain a mirage when it is officials in his government that are aiding the felling of trees for selfish gains, including the construction of some mega projects in the country

Kalua, while exposing the rot at KFS has signaled a rampant behaviour amongst some officials in the board of the Kenya Forest Service in the wake of reports of excisions of sections of the forest to either build roads, or set up golf courses.

The conservationist who has been keen on protecting the country’s forests for over 40 years now, says, there is a looming danger and while the country’s Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale is acting, he should double his efforts as there are those that are hiding under a smile while working hard to deplete the country’s forest cover.

Consequently, Kalua said there are powerful individuals linked to powerful families that are keen on making a living off Kenya’s forests.

President Ruto has an ambitious plan that aims at planting over 15 billion trees by 2032.

At the same time, Kalua called for the immediate revocation of all licences to bodies operating in the country’s forests until a fresh review is done to ascertain the operations of the bodies.

He also called for a revocation of a licence issued to his organization – Green Africa – in 2014, arguing that there have been bottlenecks that have led to his not taking it up since when it was issued.

Kalua avers that he has repeatedly called for the revocation, noting, the KFS has only been keen to ask for licence payments and not clearing the problem that has been there.

He quips that the KFS has been hiding under licences to issue people with unwarranted behaviour access to Kenya’s forests

Kalua singled out the export of sandalwood, which is a rich tree with multiple benefits under a different code.