Kenya Forest Service accused of corruption and losing forest cover
Nairobi — A government task force in Kenya has called for the management of the Kenya Forest Service to be sacked and some of its staff investigated for alleged corruption, which it said has allowed for illegal logging and significant destruction to forests. Kenya has forest cover of 7.4% of its land area, compared with about 12% 50 years ago. Experts have long warned that the continued destruction of Kenya’s forests will lead to a water crisis that could extend far beyond its borders. The task force, which was appointed to study the extent of deforestation in Kenya, said the Kenya Forest Service was largely responsible for the reduction in forest cover due to its opaque processes for licensing loggers and allowing outright illegal logging. "The board and management of the Kenya Forest Service has been unable to stem, and in some instances have directly participated in, abetted and systemised, rampant corruption and abuse of office," the task force said in its report published this ...
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