National focus shifts to the Mau Complex now that the government’s deadline for voluntary vacation of the forest has expired.
Recovery and restoration of the Mau Forest is an urgent imperative. The damage visited on the complex through reckless, senseless human activities — tree logging, unplanned farming and illegal trade — cannot be gainsaid.
Evidence abounds of the massive environmental degradation that has ensued in the greater Mau region, entire western Kenya and the neighbouring counties due to the deforestation of the Mau. What was once a lush greenery providing water catchment for several rivers is now bare land.
Yet, a select group of leaders from the Rift Valley has taken to politicising what is essentially an unmitigated environmental disaster.
In the past few days, they have been issuing threats to the government, warning against evicting illegal occupants of the forest. This is not acceptable.
Environmental matters should not be politicised. The continued prosperity of Kenya and the region is under mortal threat and therefore no effort should be spared to avert this eventuality. Occupants of the Mau Forest have to leave and the government should move in quickly to restore the forest.
For years, politics has been allowed to determine the cause of national actions. Allocation of forest land and other public utilities was singularly perpetrated by politicians and cronies.
Moreover, politicians bereft of conscience have routinely used their positions to subvert programmes that would serve the national interest because of selfish pursuits. This must stop. Painful decisions must be made.
After the Mau, the government has to clear other forests of illegal occupants. The Aberdares, Mt Elgon, Kakamega and Cherangany, among others, are equally depleted and require urgent intervention.
Statistics from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry about the levels of forest depletion are alarming. At present, the country’s cover is 7.4 per cent of the land, below the international minimum benchmark of 10 per cent. An average of 5,000 hectares of forest land is lost every year to human settlement. The country loses an estimated 62 million cubic metres of water annually through forest degradation.
Environment minister Keriako Tobiko is launching mass tree planting in the Mau Forest this weekend. That should be encouraged across the country. But all illegal settlers have to be cleared out of the forest, and the work of repair commenced quickly.
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