President William Ruto lifted the ban on logging to allow for the harvesting of mature trees only in forests countrywide.
He noted that there is need to utilise mature timber for commercial purposes rather than letting it rot in the forest.
During a public engagement at the Molo Technical and Vocational College in Elburgon, Molo Constituency in Nakuru County, on Monday, President Ruto said: “We shall reopen the timber factories here in Elburgon. I have told my Minister of Trade, Mr Lee Kinyanjui, that importing furniture from China must end. We will use our wood to make furniture.”
He added that the government will begin selling mature trees, in all forests across the country, to local sawmillers in the coming weeks.
He, however, cautioned that the conditional lifting of the ban should not be misused as a license to engage in wanton destruction of forests.
The President said he will be meeting saw millers from the region on Tuesday to agree on the responsible logging.
He said the timber harvested locally would be used to make local furniture to furnish the affordable houses under construction.
“Furniture in Kenya will use timber from here, and our Kenyan youth will create that furniture,” he said.
The announcement is likely to draw reactions from stakeholders in the sector who see it as a way of encouraging deforestation.
Present at the function were Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, Cabinet Secretaries Alice Wahome (Lands and Housing), and Lee Kinyanjui (Trade), Principal Secretary Charles Hinga, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, MPs and MCAs, among other leaders.
Earlier, the President visited Kuresoi North Constituency for the Mau Forest Restoration Programme and launched livelihood projects for communities that live around and conserve forets.
Afterwards, Ruto commissioned the completed 220-unit St Claire Affordable Housing Project in Elburgon, and laid the foundation stone for the 2,680-unit Michinda Affordable Housing Project in the same town.
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