Members of Parliament have rejected a proposal to degazette portions of public forest land in several parts of the country, raising concerns over environmental conservation and the potential impact on Kenya’s forest cover.
The concerns were raised during a meeting of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining in Machakos on Friday, where lawmakers questioned officials from the National Lands Commission and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry over plans to degazette approximately 6,708 hectares of forest land.
The proposed move targets forest areas in Turbo’s Maanzini Block, the Chebyuk Settlement Scheme in Mount Elgon, and the Shiru/Shiviringa sections within the Kakamega Forest.
Committee chairperson Vincent Musyoka said lawmakers were concerned about the motive behind the plan, noting that the proposed changes could undermine conservation efforts and affect biodiversity.
Lawmakers also questioned the timing of the proposal, pointing out that the government is currently implementing an ambitious national tree-planting programme.
Charity Kathambi, the MP for Njoro, asked why the government was pursuing the degazettement while Kenya is working to implement the 15 billion tree planting initiative championed by William Ruto.
Opposition to the proposal was echoed by Leo Wamuthende, MP for Mbeere North, who warned that opening up forest land could encourage land speculation and threaten wildlife habitats.
“We are not for this de-gazettement. De-gazettement will increase speculation. People will go for this land and this will affect the biodiversity and the animal species living in these forests,” Wamuthende said.
He added that Parliament had a constitutional responsibility to safeguard natural resources. “One of our roles as Parliament is to protect the Constitution,” he said.
Joseph Emathe, the MP for Turkana Central, also warned that allowing the move could set a dangerous precedent for other key forests in the country.
“The National Lands Commission in their report have warned us saying that if we allow this de-gazettement, we shall be opening a pandora’s box and the same will be extended to the Aberdares, Mau and other forests,” Emathe said. “This will endanger our water towers.”
The National Lands Commission told the committee that the proposal had been approved by the board of the Kenya Forest Service without consultation with the commission, which is constitutionally mandated to protect public land.
NLC Chief Executive Officer Kabale Tache Arero said the commission had not been involved in the process.
“KFS Board gave consent but never consulted the National Lands Commission. Consequently, we have never visited the said areas,” she said.
However, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Forestry Gitonga Mugambi defended the proposal, telling lawmakers that parts of the affected forests had already been encroached upon by settlers.
“In Kakamega, the Shiru/Shiviringa forest land has people residing there. These people were removed 40 years ago and resettled but are still there with no title deeds,” Mugambi said.
“They occupy land they have no title deed, I therefore ask that this Committee visit the area to see the truth.”
Session chair Yakub Adow, MP for Bura, directed the ministry to organise a joint visit with the committee to the affected areas for a fact-finding mission before any further decisions are made.
