NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 3-Kenya Forest Service on Tuesday convened a high-level public participation forum in Kitui County, bringing together forestry industry investors, county officials, Community Forest Associations, and sector stakeholders to deliberate on sustainable plantation harvesting in the larger Lower Eastern Conservancy.
The engagement forum, held in Kitui, focused on establishing a clear and transparent roadmap for plantation harvesting while safeguarding ecological integrity and boosting economic returns within the region.
The session was led by Anthony Musyoka, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests in charge of Forest Plantation Management and Inventory, alongside Richard John Mwendandu, the Kitui County CECM for Environment.
KFS emphasized a key principle of plantation forestry — that production forests are managed on rotational cycles.
“Mature stands must be harvested on schedule to preserve timber quality, reduce fire and pest risks, safeguard economic value, and enable immediate replanting,”the agency stated.
Discussions during the forum were anchored on the legal and regulatory framework governing plantation management.
KFS highlighted the controlled Annual Allowable Cut of 5,000 hectares, adherence to the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (2015), and ecosystem-based Environmental Impact Assessments licensed by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
Stakeholders were assured that all harvesting activities are subject to strict compliance measures to guarantee transparency, accountability, and sustainability.
With Kenya’s closed canopy forest cover currently at 8.83 percent, below the recommended 10 percent, participants emphasized the need for well-regulated plantation harvesting to contribute to both conservation and economic development.
KFS noted that sustainable plantation management sustains jobs across the wood value chain, supports climate resilience efforts, protects critical water towers, and complements the government’s ambitious 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme.
The agency further reiterated its commitment to transparency through digitalized investor registration systems, integrated forest inventory management, and continued stakeholder engagement to ensure ecological sustainability and economic productivity move forward in tandem.
