CS Tobiko dismisses reports of CCTVs in forests

Kenya is among the few African countries endowed with a huge biodiversity potential. But for lack of strict regulatory mechanisms, crafty individuals and research institutions continue to siphon out genetic materials of immense value. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The ministry has also promised to issue more details on the proposed projects as its commitment to secure the national forest resources.
  • On Sunday, Environment PS Charles Sunkuli said the use of CCTV cameras was one of the ways that the government intends to roll out to monitor and prevent deforestation. 

The ministry of Environment and Forestry has dispelled reports that it intends to install closed circuit television (CCTV) systems in local forests to monitor and avert uncontrolled deforestation.

In a statement to newsrooms, Environment and Forest Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko said that he is unaware and has not approved any roll out of the cameras in the forests.

PROPOSALS

“The CS is aware and is pursuing the conclusion of proposals to empower the Kenya forest rangers by providing them with the necessary equipment and resources to undertake their forest resources security and related management tasks,” the statement said. 

According to the ministry, such proposals cover a range of remote surveillance systems such as drones on a pilot projects basis and do no cover CCTV systems.

The ministry has also promised to issue more details on the proposed projects as its commitment to secure the national forest resources.

On Sunday, Environment PS Charles Sunkuli said the use of CCTV cameras was one of the ways that the government intends to roll out to monitor and prevent deforestation. 

He said the cameras will be put up at the key entry points in and outside the forests to monitor movement of resources.

The PS was addressing journalists at his Olesentu home in Narok County.

“There is need to commit more resources to KFS so that they can improve the management of forests,” he said.

FOREST COVER

With less than seven per cent of forest cover in the country to the globally recommended of at least 10 percent, the country has been on the offensive mode to promote tree planting exercise.

A motion to have schools used by the government to promote the initiative was passed in the National Assembly early this year.

According to the World Bank, Kenya lost an average of 12,600 hectares per year of forest cover due to human settlement and illegal logging during the period.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on the 2009 national population census revealed that 64.6 per cent of Kenya’s households depend on wood fuel as source of energy.

Most developing countries rely heavily on wood fuel as source of energy for cooking and heating.

The government through the Kenya Forest Service has put over 400,000 hectares of degraded public land under forestry.

This has seen forest cover in the country increase by over five per cent in the last four years.