CS Tobiko, Ongwae differ on bid to set-up factory in forest

Nyangweta Forest in Kisii County on March 4, 2018. Governor James Ongwae wants a portion of the forest land to build a sugar factory. PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Ongwae wants 120 acres of the 250-acre Nyangweta Forest excised to build the sugar factory.
  • Mr Tobiko said the excision would drastically diminish the region’s forest cover to below two per cent.

Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko and Kisii Governor James Ongwae were divided over the proposed construction of a Sh5 billion sugar factory in Kisii County.

Mr Ongwae wants 120 acres of the 250-acre Nyangweta Forest allocated for an Indian investor – Kanoria Group – to build the factory, expected to crush 5,000 tonnes of cane per day and release 10 megawatts of power to the national grid.

The two, who appeared before the Senate committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources, made their intentions on the project clear.

FOREST COVER

Mr Tobiko said the excision would drastically diminish the region’s forest cover to below two per cent.

“How does Kisii County plan to deal with this when they admit that the county is well below the forest cover threshold? I can’t just make a decision by tossing a coin,” Mr Tobiko said.

Mr Tobiko was also apprehensive that rivers around the forest are likely to dry up and effluent from the factory might pollute the river.

“It is about environmental concerns; the issues that are practical to my docket. I need to get the answers to make a recommendation for or against,” he said.

AUDIT
Consequently, he directed the National Environment Management Authority and the Kenya Forest Service to undertake an audit of the project and the proposed compensation by Kisii County.

Mr Tobiko said the audit will guide him on the way forward.

Mr Ongwae told the committee that 13 areas of other forests in the county, an aggregate of about 900 acres, are available for gazettement to compensate for the intended excision.

But the challenge is that only five of the 13 areas are gazetted, meaning that the rest are settled areas.

“The county government has an elaborate plan to afforest and reforest the identified areas to improve our cover. We have set aside enough resources in our budget to ensure the affected areas are taken care of,” he said.

LOGGING

The proposed excision comes at a time the country is struggling to increase its deteriorating forest cover in line with global standards.

The government has already imposed a three-month ban on logging and has encouraged reforestation.

According to the World Bank, Kenya lost an average of 12,600 hectares per year of forest cover due to human settlement and illegal logging in the last 15 years.