This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
On November 24, 2019, the Kenyan Cabinet made a timely decision to extend the ban on logging in public forests for the second time.
The move has been widely commended for allowing the forests to mature and recover from the devastating effects of deforestation.
According to reports, the Cabinet had been under pressure from lawmakers to lift the year-long ban, but common sense prevailed, and the ban was extended for another year.
One only needs to take an aerial tour of the country to see the destructive effects of deforestation in Kenya.
While the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources had called on the Environment ministry to partially lift the ban, the request was rightfully denied.
The Cabinet has directed the ministry to assess mature forests that are ready for harvest, but the onus should be on increasing the country's forest cover.
Kenyans have seen the devastating effects that result from destroying our forests, and it is essential to spur campaigns that will endeavour to increase the forest cover to the required international standards.
