Kenya Forest Service (KFS) will run on self-generated revenue starting next year, President William Ruto has assured.
Speaking during a KFS pass-out parade in Nakuru on Monday, Ruto further noted that illegal logging and criminal activities around the country’s environmental resources have reduced by 90 per cent in the last two years.
“I must congratulate KFS and its leadership for its achievements that are demonstrable,” he emphasised.
The President said the ex-chequer has supported KFS to the tune of Sh280 million this year, with the rest of Sh4.7 billion raised by the agency itself.
“I have an undertaking of the CS that starting next year, KFS will exit from requiring resources from ex-chequer and will run their affairs from internally-generated resources,” he said.
He urged KFS to serve as an example to other agencies and demonstrate that it is possible for agencies to run on their own generated resources.
The President noted that the challenge that KFS has faced in the past is that of laxity, incompetence and integrity.
“I want to ask you at this very important graduation; do not allow your career to be tainted with integrity issues, incompetence and laxity. You have the opportunity to change the course of KFS and make Kenya the environmental headquarters of the world,” he said.
KFS is a government agency of designated by the Forest Act of 2005 as the replacement for the old Forest Department.
It is overseen by the Board of the Kenya Forest Service. The former Forest Department was supported almost entirely by forest revenues, and was, as a result, chronically underfunded.
Under the 2005 Forest Act, this has changed somewhat, with for example, the creation of special funds such as the Water Towers Conservation Fund, a portion of which goes to forest rehabilitation, and the Mau Rehabilitation Trust Fund, for the Mau Forest.
As of 2003, Kenya had 1.57 million hectares of gazetted forest.
