WHO IS TO BE BLAMED ??

Who is to be blamed for not attaining the 10% forest cover we were to achieve by this 2022 ?

 It has always been a favourite song for conservationist ," road to recovering forest cover " but what is dragging all the efforts drawn towards this constructive goal. I believe you've been to a tree planting event or several,or maybe you've hosted one,but the question is still ringing in our minds with no one to answer but ourselves. Why are we not attaining our targeted reforestation? even though day in day out we are organising campaigns and events involving tree planting. 

A conservation enthuthiast planting trees

We've all been fighting for what we acknowledge as our forest ,our pride. Environmentalist joined in one accord to stop the National Parliament from deleting CLAUSE 34(2) in the 2016 ACT in the Conservation ammendment Bill 2021 . The ammendement would certainly weaken the KENYA FOREST SERVICE which is the body mandated to protect all public forest cover in Kenya. Such issues are what have resulted to us not attaining the targeted 10% forest cover by 2022 from 7.4%. They stated that this would be a door opening to allocate private ordains for development, a move that would be not far from a future calamity.

We are left with one problem to solve,not our politician,our organisations, government bodies but our own responsibility . My question is,in all the trees you plant who follows up on their growth progress,depending on our current kind of climate which is unpredictable,actually is a problem due to afforestion,though this is a topic for another day. We plant,pray and leave them under the able hands of the Almighty,funny indeed how we celebrate covering a large part of the country by organising the tree planting campaigns all over,but never take our time to rearrange our ideas of refforestation as not how far you can plant but how long can you witness growth of a goal. 

On the 11th December 2021, I personally took part in forest reclaiming activity,ie, Kiambu Forest in honor of slain conservation heroin Joannah Stutchbury, Who died protecting the forest,having been shot at the entrance of the forest. The Cabinet secretary of Environment and Forestry Hon.Keriako Tobiko,was the chief guest and promised to help reclaim the grabbed part of the forest and plant trees all over, over 100 trees were planted that day. On 28th May 2022, I revisited the place,and even carried along friends with the urge to enjoy the view of growth of the planted trees,to my surprise and dissapointment,all the trees dried up,and the land is back nothing much but a maize plantation. I am glad I am even safe,cause very ferosious dogs were unchained to keep us out of the place immediately they realised we were around. 

A view of THE FOREST in Kiriita

The problem is always us,when we accept to do follow-ups,we will go miles in terms of reafforestation. Remember,forests protect our water towers,they prevent soil erosion and landslides, not forgetting they provide shade and also are source of fruits and home for our wildlife,one way we can also eradicate human-wildlife conflict,and also some are a tourist destination,like THE FOREST in Kiriita . I never leave the famous heroin Wangari Maathai's words , " Nature will destroy you before you destroy it." 

by Alexander Kiruga .M