Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale on Sunday dared Deputy President William Ruto to remove all illegal settlements in the Mau forest including former President Daniel Moi's tea estate.
Through his social media, Khalwale stated: "Whenever I overfly the Mau by chopper, I witness serious ongoing deforestation. @WilliamsRuto, has expressed his desire for environmental conservation. This is now the time for us all to remove all illegal settlements in the Mau, including President Moi's tea estate."
His comment comes a day after the Deputy President imposed a three-month ban on logging and timber harvesting in all public forests.
[caption caption="Boni Khalwale and William Ruto"]
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DP Ruto, who is a Masters Degree holder in Environmental Science, justified the ban stating that the destruction of forests and key water catchment areas had caused an acute water shortage experienced in the country.
“Deforestation, degradation, and encroachment of water towers and other catchment areas, uncontrolled human activities including wanton logging have threatened and undermined the country’s capability to ensure food security. This situation poses a threat to the achievement of the big four agenda items of the Jubilee Government,” he explained.
The Nyayo Tea Zones were established in the 1980s during Mzee Moi's era as president.
Consequently, the Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation was established through a Legal Gazette Notice No. 265 of 1986 as a State Corporation with the aim of promoting forest conservation by providing buffer zones of tea and assorted tree species to check against human encroachment into the forestland.
"The Corporation was established by the Government of Kenya to enhance the conservation of forests and protection of the environment, to produce the internationally renowned Kenyan quality tea, to produce fuel-wood that is essential in tea processing, to create jobs as well as earn revenue for the Kenyan government.
"Specifically, the Corporation is mandated to establish, manage and develop tea and fuelwood plantations and indigenous trees; establish and manage nurseries for the propagation of tea and tree seedlings; establish, manage and maintain tea processing factories and process tea," the corporation's website reads in part.
[caption caption="Tea picking at Nyayo tea zones"]
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Earlier on Sunday, nominated Member of Parliament (MP) David Ole Sankok advised the government to use prisoners in correctional facilities to plant trees.
Speaking to the press in Kericho town, Sankok stated that the country could increase its dwindling forest cover by deploying prisoners.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mzee Moi"]
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