Kenyan authorities have cancelled a licence issued to a foreign company to uproot and export baobab trees from the coastal region amid concern by environmental experts.
The environment ministry said authorisation for the uprooting of the giant trees was not obtained regularly.
In a statement, it said that the process needed “adequate authorisation and a clear and transparent benefit sharing formula for the community”.
Statement delivered by Environment and Forestry, Cabinet Secretary, Hon Soipan Tuya today on the ongoing uprooting of Baobab trees in Kilifi County @StateHouseKenya @citizentvkenya @HonTuya pic.twitter.com/GYS5sWIZqP
— Ministry of Environment and Forestry Kenya (@Environment_Ke) November 21, 2022
The ministry has now ordered the transport and forest authorities to cancel the movement permit that allowed the transportation of the trees as well as the export, pending a reassessment of the deal.
“We have agreed that the baobab trees should not be exported until the agreements between the parties are properly regularised,” Environment and Forestry Minister Soipan Tuya said.
She said the ministry would also take action against people found not to have followed due process.
The government actions follow “biopiracy” concerns by environmental experts about the export of the trees to Georgia.
Source: BBC