By Alex Kiprotich
Published on 08/05/2010 Despite raising the alarm more than a year ago on wanton destruction of the152,000-acre Lembus forest in Koibatek District nothing has been done. The destruction of indigenous Podo and Mutarakwa trees is horrifying, especially in the Chemususu forest station where a multi-billion shilling dam is being constructed. The locals are worried that the people mandated to manage, preserve, and conserve the environment are presiding over its destruction. Forest officers have been caught colluding with saw millers in destroying the prized trees that have been in existence for hundreds of years. Despite the cry of the locals, the forest continues to be a milking cow for people serving in the higher echelons of the forestry department and corrupt saw millers. Every time an officer is implicated, they are transferred to other stations and a new one is brought in. Hundreds of acres of the forest are being plundered right under the nose of forest officers. From the outside the forest appears intact but inside the evidence of decimation cannot be missed. Sawed wood lies uncollected on the floor of the forest. And it is not any tree. The targets are Podo and Cedar. The forest officers, in the pretext of allowing excision of trees to pave way for the construction of the dam, are going beyond the demarcated boundaries. Investigation by The Standard on Saturday revealed felling of trees outside the designated boundaries bordering the 250-acre dam site. Freshly cut trees, sawn beams and huge logs lie everywhere. To show that the activities take place deep into the night, there are fireplaces. …
Corrupt foresters clear out indigenous trees
