On Thursday, a Nairobi court temporarily halted Kenyan President William Ruto’s decision to reopen state forests for logging, ending a ban that had been in effect for over five years.
The ban was initially instituted by the previous government in 2018 to combat illegal logging and increase Kenya’s tree cover to 10%.
However, in July, President Ruto lifted the ban, citing job creation and economic development in sectors reliant on forest products as the reasons behind the decision.
Nonetheless, the Environment and Land Court ruled on Thursday that the decision was “null and void” due to the absence of public deliberation on the matter. The judge emphasized that petitioners and the public had the right to participate in shaping the legislation, regulations, and guidelines related to forestry activities.
Legal representatives for environmental conservation organizations argued that the government did not seek input from the scientific community regarding the environmental consequences of resuming logging. They contended that this lack of consultation was in “complete disregard for the critical role forests play in mitigating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and safeguarding essential ecosystems.”
During his presidential campaign in 2022, Ruto had identified the planting of 15 billion trees as a crucial component of his climate change mitigation agenda.
Official statistics indicate that the forestry industry contributed 1.6 percent to Kenya’s GDP last year.