President Ruto defended over pronouncement to opening up forests for logging

Ali was addressing over 250 students from all over the African continent attending a two weeks forum dubbed Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice at Kenyatta University in Nairobi.

While responding to a question by a participant, Ali reiterated that there is nothing wrong with the president's move to open up forests for logging as there are a number of forests planted for commercial purposes hence harvesting them wouldn't be a crime.

"We have planted forests which are grown specifically for harvesting, and we have the indigenous forests which are not for harvesting. So, for plantation forests, they mature ready for harvesting, and they need to be harvested and replanted," explained Ali.

"All over the world this is a normal practice, many countries have had forests as major contributors to their economy, you don't harvest forests to destroy, so I think there is no contradiction to the president's directive."

On the other hand, environmentalists and climate justice crusaders are of a contrary opinion urging the president to reconsider the directive and or ensure that there are clear and attainable policies to the logging effect.

The environmentalists have expressed fear that the move will expose Kenyan forests to unscrupulous rogue people.

"Perhaps the president could be doing this in good faith because he wants people to benefit from it, but look at it this way, there could be unscrupulous people who may take advantage of this, and we are going to see the destruction of forests as we have seen before."

"So it is my appeal to all the concerned people, he is mobilizing us to the 15 million trees drive, but that could be undermined by the declaration," Dr Mithika Mwenda of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance raised a concern.

President Ruto was recently quoted in a public gathering where he made a pronouncement to lift a six-year ban on logging in Kenya to enable the saw millers to harvest wood.

According to the president, the forests will be opened up for logging to end the struggle of getting raw materials by the people and the sector which is so dependent on trees and as a result, add up to the Kenyan economic power.

The pronouncement was also backed his deputy Rigathi Gachagua who lauded the move.