Police impound truck with 300 bags of charcoal in Nairobi

Kenya Forest Service rangers on Thursday impounded a truck with 300 bags of charcoal near Wangige on the Southern bypass in Nairobi.

The vehicle, which had two occupants, had left the Kenya-Uganda border at Busia earlier in the day according to KFS Nairobi Conservancy area commandant Charles Otieno.

Mr Otieno said rangers on patrol stopped the vehicle but the two suspects, who are in custody, did not provide documentation to prove the legitimacy of the charcoal business.

“They lacked the import license and the movement permit. The vehicle was intercepted and the suspects will be charged in court,” Mr Otieno said.

STERN WARNING

He issued a stern warning to those dealing in forest produce illegally in the wake of a moratorium on logging that is in place for 90 days.

The recent ban on logging has pushed charcoal prices to an all-time high, and a bag of the commodity is currently retailing at Sh2,500 from an average of Sh1,500.

Deputy President William Ruto on February 24 suspended logging in government forests and asked Environment secretary Keriako Tobiko to look for a lasting solution to the drying of rivers.

OFFICERS SACKED

Continued degradation of key forests has triggered a management shake-up at the Kenya Forest Service in which 15 senior managers, including director Emilio Mugo, were thrown out.

Mr Mugo was replaced by his senior deputy for support services, Monica Kalenda, as the government responded to public outrage over dwindling water and forest resources in the country.

The changes came as thousands of hectares of public forests, ranging from mountain rainforests to savannah woodlands, coastal forests and mangroves, got cleared due to high demand for land and timber.

When he declared logging in all forests illegal, Mr Ruto noted unlawful logging and invasion of forests to build homes have contributed to deforestation.