Gov’t bans livestock grazing in Gazetted forests

In a significant move towards sustainable reafforestation and environmental conservation, the government has instituted a ban on livestock grazing in all public forests across the country.

Addressing the press at Kona Baridi, Ngong in Kajiado County, Environment Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya emphasized that the practice of allowing livestock grazing in government forests has contributed to widespread forest encroachment, destruction, and degradation over the years.

Tuya highlighted the ministry’s initiative to demarcate forest boundaries aimed at preventing public access to designated forest zones.

These demarcated areas will ultimately be fenced off to facilitate effective forest management.

To bolster forest conservation efforts, Tuya revealed that the ministry recently hired an additional 3,000 rangers to address the existing challenges in forest protection and preservation.

The Cabinet Secretary also underscored the importance of sustainable tree growing, emphasizing that merely planting seedlings is insufficient to meet the ambitious target set by the President to plant at least 15 billion trees.

Attorney General Justin Muturi echoed the sentiment, urging Cabinet Secretaries to involve local communities extensively in tree-growing initiatives to foster a culture of reafforestation.

Muturi emphasized the urgency of addressing adverse climate change effects through achievable mitigation measures.

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku emphasized the critical role of tree planting in restoring lost water towers and facilitating natural vegetation regeneration.

He lamented the detrimental impact of deforestation on water streams in the county, revealing that out of the 17 streams originating from the forest, only four remain functional, significantly diminishing water levels in downstream sources.

During a recent tree planting exercise, approximately 13,000 tree species were planted, marking a significant step towards advancing the government’s reafforestation agenda and safeguarding the environment for future generations.