Environmentalists call upon the government not to lift moratorium.

Environmentalists call upon the government not to lift moratorium.

Environmentalists want the government not to lift the moratorium on logging activities in public forests saying the forest cover was still low in the country.

Led by Kirinyaga United Forum patron Kamau Kibanya who is also a lawyer, they said that allowing logging, at the time when the forest cover is markedly low would have an effect on water levels in most rivers.

He said that the government needed to fast track the addition of forest cover-before removing the moratorium.

He was speaking at Murinduko hill forest in Mwea East during a tree planting exercise  on Saturday where over 4,500 seedlings  were planted.

According to Julian Wanja, Chairman  of Green Spaces, the partnership between Kenya Forest service, Netfund, Tana water works agency and Kirinyaga united Forum, is to see that the county plant trees in badly degraded areas.

Simon Muriuki, secretary Murinduko Community Forest Association said they have so far planted 50 hectares of degraded land affected by deforestation and overgrazing.

Kenya forest manager Anthony Kinyua said that they had give farmers trees to plant in their land to stop over over dependence on the public forests.

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