No tree harvesting in Kamuruana Hill, Senate told

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Deborah Barasa has clarified that no tree harvesting is currently taking place in Kamuruana Hill Forest, Kirinyaga County. This comes amid concerns raised in the Senate over alleged deforestation in the area.

Appearing before the Senate Plenary on Thursday morning, Dr. Barasa responded to a question from Senator James Murango (Kirinyaga) regarding the legality of the alleged harvesting activities and whether public participation had been undertaken beforehand.

“There is no tree harvesting currently being undertaken on Kamuruana Hill. This has been verified through the latest satellite imagery and photographs provided,” she confirmed.

Kamuruana Hill (Karaini) Forest is part of the Kangaita Forest Station in Kirinyaga West Sub-county, covering approximately 23.87 hectares 14.7 hectares of Pinus patula plantations and 9.17 hectares of bush and grassland. The area is detached from the main Kangaita Forest block.

Dr. Barasa assured the Senate that any future harvesting would be carried out strictly under the law, referencing key legislation such as the Forest Conservation and Management Act (2016), the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (1999), the Public Finance Management Act (2012) and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (2015).

“These processes will adhere to all relevant environmental laws and must include meaningful public participation,” she affirmed.

𝑆𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑔𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒

In response to further questions by Senator Murango on how the government is ensuring environmental safety for local communities, Dr. Barasa outlined a comprehensive strategy anchored in legislation and policy.

She pointed to Section 48 of the Forest Conservation and Management Act (2016) and the National Environment Policy (2013) as guiding frameworks. Additionally, she highlighted the completion of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for forest plantations within the Mt. Kenya Ecosystem.

“This assessment, conducted by the Kenya Forest Service, included public consultations such as the Embu Public Participation Report. It addressed key issues like seedling production, plantation management, harvesting and decommissioning all requiring public input,” she noted.

The ESIA led to the issuance of a license with strict conditions for any future harvesting activities in the area.

𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑠

To mitigate climate change and restore degraded landscapes, the Ministry is implementing the Kenya Forest Service’s Forest Conservation 2024–2025 Annual Work Plan.

Dr. Barasa explained that the government has already made significant progress under the Medium Term IV and Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) priorities. Among the milestones achieved is the finalization of the National Forest Policy (2023), alongside the formulation and implementation of the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (2023–2032). The Ministry has also mobilized resources for nationwide tree growing campaigns, produced over 100 metric tonnes of quality tree seeds annually, and is on course to meet the annual target of producing and planting 1.5 billion seedlings.

In addition, 2,664 forest rangers have been recruited to support forest protection, while 61,256 hectares of degraded public forests and 3,054 hectares of bamboo forests have been rehabilitated. The government has also established more than 10,763 hectares of public forest plantations and fenced off 1,190 kilometers of natural forest land to prevent encroachment and preserve biodiversity.

“These achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation,” the CS emphasized.

𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡

The Ministry has also taken a multi-pronged approach to curb deforestation and enhance community involvement. Through the Kenya Forest Service, 2,664 Forest Rangers and 474 Foresters have been deployed nationwide to strengthen forest protection.

To tackle illegal charcoal production, new regulations mandating registration and licensing have been drafted, with a strict ban on such activities in ecologically sensitive areas.

Additionally, a toll-free 24-hour hotline is set to be launched, enabling citizens to report illegal forest activities. This is complemented by widespread community sensitization campaigns and continued fencing of forest lands to promote shared responsibility.

𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒

Dr. Barasa underscored the Ministry’s leading role in the 15 Billion Tree-Growing National Initiative. She revealed that in partnership with county governments, stakeholders and local communities, the Ministry is actively restoring degraded ecosystems.

“Seedlings are raised using certified seeds from KEFRI, and technical support is provided to farmers and community groups to enhance sustainability,” she said.

She also emphasized the importance of matching tree species to appropriate ecological zones a principle being reinforced through public education to boost survival rates and long-term impact.

𝑆𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

While thanking Dr. Barasa for her response, Senators urged the Ministry to strengthen forest monitoring systems and enhance transparency through continuous public engagement. They emphasized the need for vigilance to prevent unauthorized activities and protect Kenya’s vital forest resources.