The Anglican Church of Kenya has opposed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s calls for the revival of the shamba farming system.
Speaking in Embu County,Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit said the church disagrees with the proposal to allow public cultivation forests.
Sapit argues that such actions would threaten the forest cover in the country and lead to more climatic problems.
He blamed deforestation for the current drought situation that has left millions on the verge of starvation in the country.
“We get worried when we hear proposals to reintroduce the shamba system because it has the potential of depleting our forests,” Sapit said
Food Security
The Kenyan Anglican boss says the government should be cautious about the proposals saying it can only work on commercial forests.
At the same time, Sapit urged the government to consider working on long-term solutions to ensure food security.
The archbishop said the revival of the Galana Kulalu project would help solve the food crisis in the country.
“I don’t know what happened to Galana Kulalu project it would have provided the much-needed food for people and fodder for livestock”.
“We want to remind the current government not to let those resources put in this irrigation project not go down the drain”.
“Let us revive this project to address the challenge of food in the country,” he said.
Reverse orders
Gachagua had last month said that farmers living around forests could revert to the shamba system as a source of livelihood to boost food production.
“Forests belong to citizens, you are the ones who take care of them all these years”.
There is a CS who came and banned you from taking even a leaf to cook. The leaves are rotting,” Gachagua said.
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