EDITORIAL: Ban extension timely – Business Daily

The Cabinet should be commended for extending the ban on logging in public forests for the second time.

While there has been pressure from lawmakers for the year-long ban to be lifted common sense has prevailed with the Cabinet extending the ban for another year to allow the forests to mature.

One only needs to take an aerial tour of the country to see the destructive effects of deforestation in the country.

While the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources had called on the Environment ministry to partially lift the ban to allow the Kenya Forest Service to sell mature trees that were reportedly rotting, the request was rightfully denied.

While the Cabinet has directed the ministry to assess mature forests that are ready for harvest, the onus should be on increasing the country’s forest cover.

Kenyans have seen the devastating effects that result from destroying our forests hence the need to spur campaigns that will endeavour to increase the forest cover to the required international standards. That’s the least we owe the current and future generations.