Saw millers and traders in Nyeri County have expressed their approval of the government’s decision to lift a ban on logging that had been in place for six years. They believe that this move will not only prevent the imminent collapse of the timber industry but also generate employment opportunities. The national moratorium was initially imposed to restrict the extraction of timber from public and community forests in order to safeguard and preserve water towers.
Wachira Gitau, a representative of the Timber Manufacturers Association, stated that lifting the ban was timely as the country was currently facing a shortage of timber. He explained that the ban had caused a severe scarcity of timber, leading to inflated prices and forcing many saw millers to cease operations.
Gitau further emphasized that lifting the ban would address the scarcity of raw materials in the industry. He pointed out that a significant number of trees in the forests had reached maturity, but unfortunately, they were decaying or already dead, rendering them unusable for timber production. As a result, saw millers had resorted to obtaining logs from cultivated forests, which were unable to meet the demands of the market.
Moses Wahome Ndegwa, the forest conservator of Nyeri County, clarified that the lifting of the ban applied only to licensed timber millers who had been authorized to harvest mature trees prior to the imposition of the ban. He assured that the harvesting of indigenous trees would be strictly prohibited and limited to plantation forests, where fast-growing species such as Cyprus and Pine were cultivated for the purpose of producing affordable housing and furniture.
Wahome stressed that the licensed individuals underwent a thorough vetting process and possessed letters from the forestry headquarters in Nairobi. Logging activities were closely regulated to safeguard the ecosystems. Additionally, he mentioned that community forest associations were responsible for forest plantation initiatives, where communities living near the forests were allocated land for cultivation, firewood sourcing, and livestock grazing in exchange for planting and nurturing trees until they reached maturity.
The saw millers and traders in Nyeri County are optimistic about the government’s decision to lift the ban on logging, as it will address the timber shortage, revitalize the industry, and create employment opportunities. The lifting of the ban applies only to licensed timber millers, who must adhere to strict regulations and restrictions to protect the environment. The focus is on harvesting trees from plantation forests rather than indigenous forests, with an emphasis on cultivating fast-growing species for the production of affordable housing and furniture.