President William Ruto has responded to reports of the government selling 60,000 hectares of Mau land to foreign investors.
Speaking to the press in Dubai on Sunday, December 3, during the COP 28 summit, the head of state noted that contrary to reports, the government was working on implementation of new carbon trading regulations to ensure integrity.
Also, he noted that the amendments will guide the implementation of the Climate Change Act that he already signed into law.
“We haven’t given out an inch of land to anybody. In fact, we are finalizing the regulations which are already on their way to parliament.
“We managed to change the law and made new amendments before the African climate summit because we want to bring integrity into the whole carbon space,” he stated.
Kenya Forest Service Backs Ruto on Sale of Mau Land Reports
At the same time, the Kenya Forest service (KFS) issued a statement denying the claims.
Further, it clarified that it was partnering with Initiatives for Sustainable Landscapes (ISLA) Project funded by Dutch firm IDH and not handing over the management of Mau Forest.
In addition, KFS noted that the partnership was ongoing and had been crucial in the rehabilitation and conservation of part of the forest for the past 10 years.
“This is false information meant to mislead the public. KFS has been partnering with ISLA in rehabilitation and conservation of the Southwest Mau Forest for almost 10 years ISLA and not handing over the management.
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‘This ongoing partnership does not imply in any manner handing over of the management of the forest,” the statement read in part.
Benefits of the Partnership with ISLA
On the other hand, the authority detailed that the partnership had also played a big role in the construction of Forest Ranger Outposts.
In addition, ISLA helped in Community Forest Associations develop Participatory Forest Management.
“The partnership has resulted in the construction of Forest Ranger Outposts to assist in forest protection and community empowerment projects to reduce pressure on the forest.
“SLA has also been instrumental in assisting Community Forest Associations develop Participatory Forest Management Plans (PFMP) to enable them fully benefit from their conservation efforts,” explained KFS.
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KFS asked members of the public to refute any such claims adding that it was against the law to sell the Mau Forest in whatever capacity.
“There are therefore no intentions by the government to cede ownership of any gazette forest in Kenya to any other entity apart from that of the Government of Kenya.
“Any information to the contrary is completely misleading and should disregarded. there are no intentions whatsoever to hand over management of forests to any other entity,” it added.
