The National Environmental Complaints Committee (NECC) has announced that the ban on mangrove logging in Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa, and Tana River counties will continue.
The ban, which was imposed in 2018 to combat environmental destruction and protect water towers, was lifted in Lamu County in January 2019 after the government considered the plight of local communities who relied heavily on mangroves for their livelihoods.
However, NECC officials say that illegal mangrove harvesting is still ongoing in the other coastal counties, with 220 hectares of mangroves cut down in Shirazi, Kwale, and a potential 800 hectares at risk if the trend continues.
NECC official Isabella Masinde, who led locals in planting mangrove seedlings in Kwale County, said, 'We have been doing our research in partnership with private and other government agencies and found that in Shirazi in Kwale, 220 hectares of mangroves have been cut down. If this trend continues, we might even reach 800 hectares.'
Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Conservator Blessings Maghanga noted that since the ban was imposed, there has been significant improvement in the forest cover, with the ban being 'successful' in protecting the environment.
However, Maghanga warned that the ban could soon be lifted if the Ministry of Environment responds to a status report submitted to it, with logging allowed under strict rules to prevent damage to the ecosystem and environment.
Locals are already seeing the benefits of conserving mangroves, with women's conservation groups like Siwema Jikaze planting 200,000 mangrove seedlings and selling them to organizations to support their community.
As Nema Kwale Director Godfrey Wafula noted, mangrove conservation efforts will not only help the environment but also boost ecotourism and improve the economy through improved fishing in the area.
