Kakamega Forest feels the pinch of logging

The Nation team visited the forest, weeks after 14 saw millers were last month forced to stop their operations at Chirobani market in Shinyalu constituency.

And while the forest looks intact, buzzing with wildlife, from outside, a peek in the inner parts reveal the impact of the illegal activity.

Some indigenous trees have been felled, ostensibly by loggers only permitted to harvest non-native species.

In some instances, areas that used to have thick bushes now only have a clearing.

RIVERS
With drought ravaging most parts of the country, the effect of the destruction is beginning to manifest in the region, which relies on the forest as a source of several rivers.

Most of the rivers have begun drying up, sending villagers panicking as the dry spell continues to take toll on livelihoods.

The matter first came to light last month after local MP Justus Mugali had complained of wanton destruction of the forest, perpetrated by millers okayed to harvest mature trees inside the forest.

The millers were harvesting pine trees on a 22.1 hectare plantation, but they raised suspicion of encroaching on indigenous tree plots after they began loading the trunks in the dead of the night.

Mr Mugali said he would not allow the illegal logging by the saw millers who were out to make huge profits from the business without caring about the long-term effects of their activities.

SAW MILLERS

During the incident at Chirobani market, Mr Mugali mobilised villagers on January 7, 2018 to eject the saw millers from the forest.

“This forest is about our livelihood as a community and we will not allow greedy saw millers to destroy it,” he said.

When the MP visited the market, several trucks loaded with timber were preparing to leave for Mombasa.

The lawmaker said the saw millers were operating in his constituency without bothering to involve the community in their activities.

“I am the MP for Shinyalu and yet I am in the dark on what is happening in our forest. This wanton destruction of our forest must stop,” Mr Mugali said.

LICENSED

He accused the saw millers of engaging in massive destruction of the forest and damaging roads in the constituency during transportation of timber trucks.

“What is happening to our forest is unacceptable. We want the saw milers to stop their operations to allow for proper consultation on the matter with communities in Shinyalu.”

The lawmaker was involved in an altercation with the saw millers at the market after he demanded they stop their operations prompting police officers to intervene.

A forest officer, Mr George Aimoh, said the saw millers had been licensed to harvest trees at the plantation, which was planted in 1963.

He said the plantation should have been harvested after 30 years to avoid loss of revenue to the government due to the degeneration of forest products.

“The forest has a management plan that is guiding us on the planting and harvesting of forest products,” Mr Aimoh said.

SECURITY

He asked the Kakamega East division police boss Benjamin Ongombe to provide security to the saw millers.

“We have 125 people from the community who have been hired by the saw millers earning a livelihood by working at the different sites in the forest,” Mr Aimoh said.

In addition, Mr Aimoh said the National Environment Management Authority had carried out an Environmental Impact Assessment of the activity and given it a clean bill.

Kakamega County Ecosystem conservator Martin Mamati Wandabwa said the moratorium on logging activities in forests had been fully implemented, including issuing of permits for movement of timber which has been stopped.

“We are waiting for further directions from the government on the issue and I do not wish to comment further on the matter,” Mr Wandabwa said, adding “We have stopped all operations in the forest and intensified patrols to ensure the government ban is enforced.”