Lifting logging ban risks reversing conservation progress, expert says

Environmental activist Dr Isaac Kalua Green has cautioned that President William Ruto’s decision to lift Kenya’s six-year logging ban could threaten the country’s fragile forest ecosystems if not guided by science and community ownership.

Kenya has long grappled with balancing environmental conservation and economic development, particularly in its forestry sector.

 In 2018, the government imposed a nationwide logging ban to curb deforestation and protect fragile ecosystems.

 While the ban helped slow forest degradation, it also strained the timber industry and limited access to wood for construction and manufacturing.

On October 27, President Ruto officially lifted the ban during a public engagement at Molo Technical and Vocational College in Elburgon, Nakuru County.

He said only mature trees would be harvested responsibly to support local industries and revive timber factories.

“We shall reopen the timber factories here in Elburgon,” said Ruto, adding, “Importing furniture from China must end. We will use our wood to make furniture.”

The President emphasised that the move should not be taken as a license for illegal logging or environmental destruction.

“The lifting of the logging ban does not mean that we destroy our forests,” Ruto said.

 “It means we will harvest trees responsibly,” he added.

Speaking on Spice FM on Wednesday, November 5, Dr Kalua said the directive risked reversing gains in forest conservation unless accompanied by proper environmental impact assessments.

“You need a scientific process to lift or implement logging,” noted Dr Kalua, saying, “No one in their right mind should guide the President to do so without an environmental impact assessment.”

He warned that unsustainable logging could trigger soil erosion, alter rainfall patterns, and worsen environmental degradation.

“If logging is done unsustainably, we will lose a lot of soil, rainfall will change, and livelihoods will be disrupted,” he said, calling forest conservation a national security issue.

Dr. Kalua urged the government to invest in environmental education to empower communities to manage forests responsibly.

“We must educate people so they can own the process and drive it themselves. Ownership is what has been lacking,” he explained.

He noted that while the timber and furniture industries are vital for job creation, Kenya must balance economic needs with environmental protection.

 About 80 per cent of Kenyans, he said, live near water sources and forest ecosystems that sustain livelihoods.

According to Dr Kalua, Kenya’s forest cover stands at about 7.9 per cent, below the national target of 10 per cent.

He estimated that the country currently produces about 31 million cubic meters of timber annually against a demand of 51 million, creating a shortfall of roughly 10 million cubic meters.

“Logging in plantations like Shimba Hills or Mt. Kenya areas must consider how these spaces have evolved into wildlife habitats and microclimates,” he added.

“This is not about trees or furniture; it is a national security subject.”

Dr Kalua also highlighted global funding opportunities available for environmental restoration.

“There’s money globally for green initiatives if we’re serious,” he said, adding,  “Let’s drive this process passionately, without demeaning any life.”