African Woman and Child Feature Service

Having failed to completely eradicate charcoal burning in the past two decades, the government is taking steps to legalise charcoal production and trade.

The trade has remained invisible despite earning the dealers Sh32 billion annually in the past two decades as the government continues to lose over Sh5 billion annually at road-blocks manned by police and county council officials.

At the moment, illegal traders benefit greatly from the sale of the commodity as the price increases in tandem with the bribery they are forced to give at the road-blocks.

Traders currently transport lorry-loads of charcoal into Nairobi and other major urban centre’s selling a sackful for Sh600 despite buying them from illegal burners at Ksh 200.

Economists observes that, in a sustainable environment, charcoal producers can earn between Ksh 20,000 and Ksh 30,000 a month making it a well paying venture for the rural population.

The government currently allows individuals to buy between one tonne and 10 tonnes of charcoal for domestic use, but unfortunately the dealers are reportedly trading lorry-loads to the people on a daily basis.

“We are drafting legislation on the production and transportation of charcoal to help bring sanity in the industry that serves over 70 per cent of the urban population in Kenya,” says the director of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Mr. David Mbugua.

Mr Mbugua reveals that the government is regulating the sub-sector as away of raising revenue and also responding to the needs of the people, the majority of whom are the major consumers of charcoal.

He says that the hunt is on for a private investor to help promote better charcoal kiln in the country as opposed to the use of traditional earth kilns that wastes a lot of wood during the processing.

“In the process, the government has identified arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) like Kapiti, on Machakos plains, that are potential for the growing of fast-maturing trees that will be used in sustaining the industry,” he adds.

In 2000, the national annual consumption was estimated at 2.4 million metric tones, 75 per cent of which was produced in ASAL areas. The industry employs over 700,000 people who have over 2 million dependants.

A study in 2005 put the annual charcoal consumption estimate at 1.6 million metric tons, resulting in an annual consumption of an average of 2 million metric tons of unsustainably harvested wood.

The director attributes the government’s failure to increase the country’s forest cover as required internationally to poor mismanagement of forests under the jurisdiction of local authorities.

“We believe that the thriving charcoal business in this country and for export is sustained by forests that are run by the local authorities, but all this is due to end following the coming into force of the new forests act,” Mr. Mbugua adds.

According to the forest act 2005, the minister in charge of forests may, by order published in the Gazette declare any local authority forest or private forest, which in the opinion of the KFS board is mismanaged or neglected, to be a provisional forest.

But the provisional forest shall be managed by the service, in collaboration with the owner for a period of three years.

However, is to be reviewed and profits accrued be paid to the owner less expenses incurred by KFS in managing the concerned forest.

Upon the board’s satisfaction that the forest has been adequately rehabilitated and the owner has given an undertaking to efficiently manage it, it is given back to the owner.

Mbugua reveals that of all the local authorities that run forests in the country, only the Narok county council in Rift Valley province is managing its forests well.

“It is mind-boggling to note that other local authorities have left their forests at the mercy of surrounding communities who either have not spared them in meeting their financial needs,” he notes.

He notes that given the fact that forests are the major source of herbal medicine, timber, honey and source of water, there is a major shift towards a sustainable use of the resource.

“We are also talking to water authorities in the country with the aim of having them deduct a percentage of money from the monthly water bills to enable us to fund the conservation efforts,” he adds.

According to Mr. Mbugua, if well managed, the government is capable of raising Sh3 billion annually from the forest, an amount that is enough to pay the service employees.

The council currently earns its revenue from selling seedlings and renting out eco tourism sites. Herders and the surrounding communities also pay for services on a daily basis but payable at month end.

According to the chairman of the Kenya Timber Manufacturer Association (KTMA), Mr. Samwel Gitonga, the country is capable of growing and exporting timber to other countries.

He notes that since Kenya’s forest matures after 25 years, compared to 60 years in Europe, the country is capable of producing forest products for local consumption and for export market.

“This is only possible once the idle land is put into forest cover and the government, too, encourages people to adapt tree farming on their land and buffer zones by financing their projects,” he says.

The government must also remove taxes on imported logging machineries and wood preservatives and offer expert advice on how and where to plant trees such as blue gum.

He says that the government needs to promote family-owned forests as is the case in Europe to help promote the culture of tree planting as a way of investment to the upcoming generation.

He assures that the sawmillers are ready and only waiting for the government to allow them to start reafforesting idle land.

“It is a shame that 46 years after attaining independence, Kenya still imports timber from Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo yet the country is situated in the same ecological zone,” he adds.