Greenpeace Africa NGO has condemned the government's plan to cut down trees in Iveti Forest within Machakos County.
The county's Forestry Department had approved the cutting down of trees on 22 hacres of the forest.
The organization's senior Food for Life Campaigns manager, Renee Olende, said the state's approval was wrong and disregarded efforts by local farmers, communities and environmental organizations that are working to increase forest cover in the country.
Three saw millers are expected to clear the forest.
Most of the residents are unaware of this exercise.
Iveti Forest is not the only case of Government’s inaction to preserve forests, there has been reports of human rights violations in Embobut and large scale destruction of forests, Wetlands and other ecosystems in Mau, Mt Kenya, Karura and Kiambu.
Kenya has a target of 10% forest cover but according to Kenya Forestry Service only 6.2% of Kenya’s total land is currently covered with forests.
“Kenya has recently witnessed extremely debilitating droughts resulting to residents relying on relief food. Farmers and local communities are still reeling from the effects of these droughts. 3.4 million people are severely food insecure and an estimated 500,000 children require treatment for acute malnutrition," said Olende.
Olende added, "if we continue to destroy our water catchment areas, we can only expect these climatic conditions to get worse."
She said saw millers, government and other stakeholders should stop deforestation in the two regions to ensure rights and livelihoods of the locals are respected.
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