NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 20 – WildlifeDirect, a Kenyan-registered nonprofit organization campaigning wildlife conservation, has opposed the planned repeal of Section 34 (2A) of the Forest Act warning the move will erode gains made in protecting Kenya’s wildlife.
The organization founded by late Kenyan conservationist Richard Leakey said Thursday the proposal by Langata Member of Parliament Nixon Korir was detrimental to efforts to grow the country’s forest cover.
WildlifeDirect’s CEO Paula Kahumbu said by repealing the provision that requires persons seeking variation of forest boundaries to demonstrate that such actions do not endanger the wildlife, powers vested on Kenya Forest Service on matters related to boundary variation of public forests will be degraded.
“This will no doubt lead to the destruction of Kenya’s protected forests, and indeed the aspirations of the forestry sector,” Kahumbu said.
She termed the move as yet another strategy to water down the powers of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the forest protection agency.
“I am personally astounded that any right-thinking person would consider submitting or supporting such an amendment. It will open the door to forest destruction after decades of hard work by the agencies, communities and NGO’s to increase forest cover as committed to in our constitution. One can only read mischief in such a motion with elections around the corner,” Kahumbu explained.
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