Marsabit National Park Forest Path, residents have been cautioned against buying timber from people claiming to be KWS. Photo: Tembea KE.
The Kenya World-life Service (KWS) in Marsabit has cautioned residents against purchasing timber from unknown people identifying themselves as officers from KWS in the Department of Forestry.
Cautioning the residents, Mark Leng’uro, Regional Forest Conservator in Marsabit, cautioned the residents against falling for the lies, after he confirmed receiving complaints from residents that they have been conned by KWS officers.
According to Leng’uro, the residents claimed to be conned by a woman, who claimed to be an employee of KFS, allegedly selling them timber in various institutions across the county including schools. He clarified to the residents that the primary duty of KFS is to protect forests in the country, and not cutting down of tress and selling timber.
“There is a woman who has conned people that they is an ongoing tree harvesting, and they will get firewood and timber. There is no such program under Kenya Forest Service in Marsabit, so people should take caution,” Leng’uro clarified.
He further emphasized that the government through the Ministry of Environment has been calling on Kenyans to plant tress, to achieve its goal of 15 billion planted tress by vision 2030, as well as to counter the adverse effects of Climate Change in the country.
Leng’uro called on residents of Marsabit to continue with the efforts by President William Ruto, of planting tress to further protect the environment. However, the officer further cautioned herders grazing their livestock around areas where tree seedlings have been planted, as there is a secluded section that has been set aside for grazing their livestock.
“Let us join hands and plant tress to avoid depending on the only resource we have in the county. This will also help us fight drought that strikes this region frequently. Let us be careful as communities to protect our environment. Our herders should stop encroaching in areas where we have planted trees with their livestock, as they further destroy the environment. We have grazing plan that is free to our herders during dry seasons,” he cautioned.
