President William Ruto has come under sharp criticism following his decision to lift the logging ban in the Mau Forest Complex, with critics now terming his move a major setback to Kenya's environmental conservation efforts.
The United Green Movement (UGM) party, which is linked to former Chief Justice and Presidential hopeful David Maraga, took a swipe at the Head of State on Tuesday evening, accusing him of deliberately destroying one of East Africa's largest and most significant ecosystems.
Led by party Secretaries General Katto Wambua and Sialo Tasur, the party leadership noted that Ruto's decision to lift the logging ban on Monday, October 27, directly contradicted a programme launched on the same day to fight water scarcity.
In their statement, Wambua and Tasur noted that the Mau Forest Complex was essential for Kenya's economy, providing tourism revenue, jobs, food, water, and electricity.
According to the UGM party, the Mau Forest Complex was not merely a forest but the country's lifeline as it is a water catchment that feeds 12 major rivers which sustain livelihoods in up to 6 counties, including Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Kajiado, Nakuru and Nairobi.
Besides the forest's significance to humans, the party argued that the Mau Complex also acted as a habitat for wildlife, supporting some of Kenya's most iconic assets, including the Maasai Mara Reserve and Lake Nakuru National Park.
"The Mau Forest is virtually the lungs of our business as a country. It provides tourism revenue, jobs, food, water and electricity," the UGM party revealed.
Adding, "It should be remembered that over 40 per cent of the original Mau Forest has been lost since independence, following decades of indiscriminate logging of the said forest, encroachment and land grabbing by known political elites."
In its presser, the party also accused the Head of State of double speak, noting that while the President allegedly pretended to promote talks on climate change, he was presiding over the next wave of deforestation.
"President Ruto, who has been positioning himself as Africa's leading climate and conservation political champion, is paradoxically allowing the destruction of the endangered Mau Forest complex," the party noted.
While hitting out at the President, the party challenged Kenyans to come out and reject the Head of State's controversial decision to lift the ban on logging.
Meanwhile, the move comes a day after President Ruto lifted the ban on logging, maintaining that only mature trees would be harvested for local use.
Speaking on Monday, October 27, during a public engagement in Nakuru County, the President said the decision was reached to ensure mature trees are put to productive use instead of rotting in forests.
