Kenyan logging ban leads to timber shortage
The lifting of the national moratorium imposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya six years ago initially brought relief to sawmills before the courts stepped in to suspend the decision.
The court suspended the directives a few weeks ago after some sawmills used chainsaws to cut down mature trees in the forest, creating vibrations that resonated in most corners of public and community forests.
Sawmills and traders in Nyeri County said the short window provided them with the opportunity to cut down trees, thus creating job prospects in the timber industry.
Wachira Gitau, an official with the Central Kenya Timber Manufacturers Association, said the decision to lift the ban came at the right time as the country was grappling with timber shortages that had adversely affected the industry.
"The ban has led to an acute shortage of timber, resulting in high timber prices and forcing many sawmills to cease operations," he explained.
He urged the court to consider lifting the ban to facilitate the provision of raw materials for the industry.
Giteau said a large proportion of the trees within the plantation forests had deteriorated because they had matured but were not harvested in time.
"We found that most of the trees had rotted and even those that were still standing were largely dead when they were felled, making them unable to produce usable timber. This is a huge loss for us," he said.
Giteau said the lifting of the ban would have a significant impact on the timber industry by improving the supply of logs to meet market demand and create jobs, especially for the youth, particularly in the furniture industry.
Meanwhile, sawmill operators said they have been sourcing logs from plantation forests, but this supply has not been adequate to meet market demand.
"The biggest challenge we are facing stems from the scarcity of mature trees suitable for timber. Some farmers are cutting down immature trees, putting our business at risk," he said.
Nyeri County Conservator of Forests, Moses Wahome Ndegwa, clarified that the lifting of the ban only applies to licensed timber millers who paid for permits to harvest mature trees within plantation forests before the ban was imposed six years ago.
"Only those individuals who paid for the fee to harvest mature trees in the forest were allowed to retrieve their designated trees," he said. Wahom said trees within plantation forests are planted for productive purposes and harvesting of native trees from forests is prohibited.
Trees in plantation forests take 28 to 30 years to mature and have fast-growing species that can provide raw material for affordable housing and furniture, he said.
"The harvested trees include Cypriot and pine trees used for building houses and making furniture," Wahom added.
He explained that in Nyeri County, planted forests make up 10 per cent of the forest cover. The forest protector said that those who were granted permits to cut down the trees were pre-qualified after a vetting process.
