Conservationists in Kwale County have raised an alarm over the increasing destruction of indigenous trees in the region.
Two tree species Afzelia Quanzensis (Mbambakofi) and Milicia excelsa (Mvule) are now on the verge of extinction in Kwale, Kenya Forest Services has revealed.
County Forest Conservator Maghanga Blessington said the trees are targeted because of their high value; hardwood and expensive. The residents are cutting down the trees at an alarming rate.
“In most cases, residents are trying to get in our forests targeting the indigenous trees for timber,” he said.
Blessington said KFS has been arresting some of the perpetrators and presenting them in court.
“Currently, we have quite a number of ongoing cases of illegal tree cutting at Kwale law courts,” he said.
He said last week with the help of officers from the Kenya Wildlife Services they arrested five people but four ran away. They have since then launched a manhunt.
According to him, the five were caught cutting down indigenous trees at the Shimba Hill National Reserve Forest and were preparing timber for illegal sale.
The Shimba Hill reserve is an area of coastal rainforest, woodland and grassland and it was gazetted as National Forest in 1903, being one of the few large areas on the south coast that was still well forested.
However, illegal charcoal burning, logging and perennial drought have been endangering the forest.
Kwale is among the counties that were previously affected by drought that caused massive damage to crops, forest population and livestock.
Despite the dwindling number of forest trees and ban on charcoal burning, Kwale remains to be among the biggest producers of charcoal in the coastal counties, according to an environment enthusiast and founder of a Kinango-based NGO Kenyans for Green World Omar Weko.
Last year in a tree planting event, Weko alleged that at least more than 1,500 bags of charcoal are being transported daily from Lunga-Lunga and Kinango in Kwale to Mombasa via motorbikes and some Lorries.
However, Blessington said the tree-cutting vice had subsided because of continued conservation efforts by stakeholders but only a few selfish residents are back into the illegal business.
Currently, Kwale has a forest cover of 5.52 per cent, from which 8,400 hectares are mangroves and a tree cover of 13.99 per cent.
He said that some of the residents are salivating for the indigenous trees in public forests because they have recklessly cleared the nearby trees in their homesteads and farms for wood and timber.
Blessington said KFS is vigilant and has also partnered with various non-governmental organisations to protect and conserve the forest and the environment.
He said they have at the moment launched civic education programs targeting the forest communities sensitizing them against tree felling especially the indigenous trees.
The officer said the indigenous trees are best fitted for ecological restoration and water catchment compared to the exotic trees.
“The ancient trees provide a conducive environment for wildlife, nature regeneration, medicine and tapping water because of their roots,” he said.
He warned that sneaking and destroying trees in protected forests is a big crime and it will result in jail terms once found.
Blessington urged locals to shun destructive livelihood activities and embrace alternative sustainable income-generating methods.
He advised the forest communities to adopt tree planting as an investment to change their lives and improve food security.