The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has dismissed claims of a deforestation crisis in the Mau Forest, terming the allegations as misleading and unfounded.
This comes in response to an article published on November 28, 2024, titled “Satellite Images Expose Hidden Crisis in Mau Forest”.
According to the KFS, the claims in the article misrepresent the actual situation, disregarding the strides made in forest restoration and management over the years.
“Forest loss in Mau has been well documented over the past century and was particularly intense in the last three decades, largely due to weak policy, legislative, and institutional frameworks at the time,” KFS noted.
The service emphasized that Kenya is a leader in environmental conservation, backed by robust strategies like the Landscape Restoration Strategy, which aims to increase tree cover to 30% by 2032.
Additionally, the recently gazetted Forest Policy 2024, Forest Conservation and Management Act (FCMA) 2016, and the Climate Change Act are cited as key frameworks driving sustainable forest management efforts.
Among the significant interventions highlighted by KFS are:
- Recruitment of 3,300 new rangers and foresters.
- Enhanced training and equipping of personnel.
- Implementation of Operation Imarisha Misitu since 2023, which has drastically reduced illegal activities in the Mau Forest by 90%.
The service further reported that these measures have resulted in visible natural regeneration, especially of bamboo species, across the Mau Forest Complex. From December 2023 to April 2024, all unauthorized activities within the forest were suspended, yielding positive outcomes.
KFS also refuted claims based on satellite imagery presented in the article, asserting that areas marked in purple fall outside the forest boundaries. These include locations bordering Mariashoni, Likia, Nesuit, Sururu, Olpusimoru, Tinet, Saino, and Keringet. “The imagery lacks ground truthing, making it biased and unprofessional,” KFS added.
The service reiterated its commitment to protecting and conserving Kenya’s forests for the benefit of current and future generations.
“The Mau Forest Complex is a success story, not a crisis, as portrayed,” KFS stated.
