Environment CS Tobiko warns of impending drought

Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko has sounded the alarm on the impending water shortage, as well as illegal logging in the country.

While settling into his new office on Monday, Mr. Tobiko intimated that the country is facing a serious case of drought as evidenced by the water rationing that has reportedly began in some parts of Kenya.

“Our rivers are drying up, the levels of our hydro-dams have gone beyond harvesting. Because we have decimated our catchment areas. We must protect our water towers with our dear lives,” said Tobiko.

The former Director of Public Prosecutions also expressed his displeasure at media reports about illegal logging in the country as well as complicity of forest rangers.

Tobiko, while acknowledging morally upright forest rangers, said he would release those engaging in such activity as illegal logging from their jobs.

“Those rotten officers who are the custodians of our forest resources must be weeded out. If there is evidence that links any one of them with such activity they must be arrested and taken to court even before they are interdicted,” he said.

“I also read about complicity between licensed saw millers who have been allocated quarters within plantations… they go beyond their allocated quarters in complicity with the forest guards. I want to put the saw millers on notice, those licences are given to you in trust. You’re supposed to harvest within the allocated quarter, and you’re required to re-plant,” he said.