Ruto Logging Freeze Extended By Environment Court
The Environment Court extended the ban on logging on Thursday after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) challenged President William Ruto’s order to lift the 2018 moratorium imposed by the previous administration.
LSK filed a lawsuit challenging the decision to rescind the moratorium in July 2023, when the court froze the decision temporarily.
The Environment Court ruled that the moratorium was lifted without proactive information disclosure and public input.
In addition, Justice Oscar Angote prohibited the government from issuing forestry permits except for 5,000 acres of mature trees.
While lifting the prohibition, Ruto argued that it had harmed Kenya economically, particularly in regions where logging was the primary occupation.
“We have decided to open up the forest and harvest timber so that we can create jobs for our youth and open up businesses,” Ruto had stated while lifting the ban.
ALSO READ:
- GMO Imports Approved: Court Rules ‘No Evidence Of Harm To Humans’
- Every Hamas member is a dead man – Netanyahu
He added that the decision would not affect the country’s water catchment areas because his administration would establish 15 billion trees over the next decade.
While the government informed the court that Kenya had 26,000 hectares of mature and over-mature forest plantations, Justice Angote has only permitted tree felling on 5,000 acres.
LSK argued before the Environment Court that the lifting of the prohibition was not supported by any scientific evidence or research.
In addition, the group led by Eric Theuri argued that there was no specific environmental impact assessment or public participation that led to the lifting of the ban.
During the establishment of the moratorium, the previous administration disclosed that it was intended to assist the nation in meeting its climate change objectives.
Since the ban was instituted, Kenya has seen a steady development of forest cover from 5.9 percent in 2018 to 8.83 percent in 2022.
Ruto Logging Freeze Extended By Environment Court
