KENYA: Wildlife Service in New Plan On Forests
Copyright 2001 The Nation (Nairobi)
September 12, 2001
By Noor Ali and Muthui Mwai
The Kenya Wildlife Service and the Forestry Department have developed a five-year management plan for Mt Kenya's ecosystem.
The plan includes community participation, forest rehabilitation and beefing up of security for wildlife, the Mount Kenya National Park chief game warden Bongo Woodley said on Monday.
The plan comes at a time when Camphor, an endangered indigenous hardwood, faces extinction in Chehe Forest.
Mathira division residents accused poachers of using power-saws to indiscriminately harvest the tree, in great in demand in the furniture industry.
They said they suspected collusion between the loggers and foresters.
Although violations have been reported in most forests in the country, the ban on its harvesting is still in force.
The Central provincial forest officer, Mr Emilio Mugo, confirmed receiving such logging reports but clarified that KWS took over the management of Mt Kenya about two years ago.
Mr Woodley also confirmed that he often receives such complaints. He conceded that while the KWS was trying to crackdown on the racket, "there will always be logging somewhere".
He complained that non-deterrent sentences handed out to poachers by courts frustrated their efforts.
On the eviction of some non-resident forest cultivators at Hombe Forest, Mr Woodley said only four people, whom he accused of poaching, were affected.
Meanwhile, the Isiolo County Council has approved plans to develop a third game reserve in the district.
Security arrangements and road network improvement plans for Bisanadi game reserve, which borders the Meru National reserve, have also been finalised.
County council chairman Dabaso Halkano promised that the council game rangers would be deployed to the game reserve next week. The rangers and the KWS personnel would provide security at the reserve.
Last month, KWS director, Dr Nehemiah Rotich signed grant documents for Sh100 million from the International Animal Welfare for a five-year project to rehabilitate the Meru National Park.