Council of Governors Backs Charity Ngilu in Charcoal Row

Governors on Monday resolved to be on the frontline in the war against deforestation, backing Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu over the controversial ban on charcoal trade in her county.

In a statement, Council of Governors chairman Josphat Nanok raised concern over the increased logging in the country's water catchment areas.

He promised that the Council would work with the Keriako Tobiko-led Ministry of Environment to create a policy for enforcement of logging regulations.

"This will take into cognisance of the worrying logging trends that continue to devastate our forests.

"We will be part of the initiatives that will lead to the restoration of the forests cover to the required threshold of 10 per cent," Nanok told the media.

[caption caption="CoG Chairman Josphat Nanok"][/caption]

He spoke following a meeting involving governors, the Kenya Red Cross, the National Treasury, the Environment ministry, Vision 2030, USAid and the Christian Association Ministry.

On Monday, Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu took his battle with Ngilu a notch further when he took her to court.

Waititu accused Ngilu of incitement, blaming her for the torching of vehicles carrying charcoal in Kitui.

He wants Ngilu ordered "not to harass motorists using roads in Kitui under the pretence of enforcing the charcoal management in her county."

On her part, Ngilu maintained that she was being fought by cartels in the charcoal business.

"This is the kind of misinformation and propaganda that criminal cartels use to discredit leaders and institutions that dare to stand up to them," she affirmed.

[caption caption="Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu"][/caption]

 

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