Responding to the news that president Ruto has lifted the six year old ban on logging, Greenpeace Africa's Community Manager, Tracy Makheti has said:

"Greenpeace Africa is alarmed by these developments. During last year's Mashujaa day celebrations, president Ruto made a commitment to increase the forest cover to 30% by 2032. Greenpeace Africa is perturbed that 8 months down the line the president has made a u-turn on his own words.

"There is an evident lack of goodwill in implementing the existing policies on illegal logging. By lifting this ban president Ruto has prioritised profit over people and nature. The ban on logging in public and community forests should not be based on monetary value, but rather on restoring our natural forests with indigenous trees.

"The Ministry of Environment and Forestry should upscale the establishment of mixed forest plantations as it will increase forest cover and at the same time increase revenue while building the economy by providing employment opportunities. The Ministry should also consider planting indigenous trees in the 8,000ha bare buffer zones, to help restore biodiversity and increase forest cover.

"As a long term solution the Ministry should work to foster collaborative relations with communities living near the forests as well as environmental protection agencies and activists instead of resorting to unsustainable solutions. They should prioritise fast growing species of bamboo to supplement wood and timber needs of the country.

"Greenpeace Africa is petitioning CS Soipan Tuya and president Ruto to immediately reinstate the ban on logging in all the community and gazetted forests and also develop a model where NGOs can adopt these spaces to take care of the indigenous trees."

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