Muturi Reveals Opposition Plan to Visit Aberdare Forest Over Controversial Logging

Former Attorney General Justin Muturi has announced plans by opposition leaders to visit the Aberdare Forest next week to investigate ongoing logging activities amid growing concerns over the possible destruction of a critical water catchment area.

In a statement issued on Saturday, October 10, Muturi questioned the harvesting of trees in the forest and demanded transparency over who authorised the exercise, who was responsible and where the timber was being taken.

While addressing residents of Junda and Shanzu in Mombasa County, Muturi said the planned visit would help establish the facts surrounding the ongoing logging.

“The Aberdares are a critical water tower, supporting millions of livelihoods, sustaining rivers and protecting the ecological balance of our country. Any activity that threatens this ecosystem demands urgent scrutiny, transparency and accountability,” he said.

Muturi also claimed that timber from the Aberdares was being used in affordable housing projects, raising questions about the source of the materials and the people benefiting from the trade.

“If public housing is being built using timber sourced from activities that threaten our protected forests, Kenyans deserve a full and transparent explanation,” he said.

He further questioned who was making money from the timber trade, arguing that private interests should not benefit at the expense of environmental protection.

“The opposition’s planned visit to the Aberdares is about demanding answers, establishing the facts and ensuring that those responsible for any unlawful activities are held accountable,” Muturi added.

He said the delegation would seek clarity on the source of the timber, the authorisations behind its harvesting and its intended destination.

Photo collage of former Attorney General Justin Muturi during his coastal tour in Shanzu on October 10
PHOTO/Muturi/X

Residents Raise Alarm Over Logging in Aberdare Forest

Muturi’s concerns come amid growing outrage in Nyandarua County over logging activities at the Aberdare Forest, where residents say numerous lorries have been transporting logs from the forest.

At Geta Forest Station in Nyandarua, lorries loaded with logs have been emerging from the forest, with drivers navigating dusty, pothole-ridden access roads as they make their way to the main road.

The scale of the harvesting has raised concerns among residents, conservationists and Kenyans on social media, with questions emerging over its possible impact on the forest’s ecosystem.

James Matoro, a resident of Geta, said he had never witnessed logging on such a scale in the area.

“Mimi sijawai ona uharibu kama vile naona tangu nizaliwe kwanza Geta Forest… miti inakatwa kukatwa bila plan, wakimaliza kukata miti hakuna benefit yoyote tunapata kwa sababu hiyo barabara wanapitisha miti ni mbovu na wanapita na magari zao kubwa,” Matoro said.

His remarks reflect concerns among residents who fear the harvesting could damage the forest while leaving neighbouring communities without adequate benefits from the activities.

Residents are particularly worried about the Aberdares’ role as a major water catchment area and the potential consequences of continued tree harvesting for rivers and water supplies.

Nyandarua Leaders Question the Harvesting

Nyandarua Governor Kiarie Badilisha has also raised concerns over the logging, warning that the exercise could affect water supplies and agricultural activities that depend on the forest.

Badilisha said he had recently visited parts of the Aberdares and observed that some small streams that previously supplied water to residents had dried up.

“Sisi tuna wasiwasi kwa sababu ya maji ya watu wetu ya kunywa sababu ya vyakula na tuko na wasi wasi mwingi sana, juzi nimetembea katika Aberdare na zile intakes ambayo watu wetu walikuwa wanapata maji sasa ile vijito vidogo vidogo vimekauka,” he said.

The governor’s concerns centre on the potential impact of logging on communities that depend on the forest for water and other natural resources.

Kipipiri Member of Parliament Wanjiku Muhia also questioned the scope of the harvesting and the status of the restrictions previously imposed on logging.

“The ban was there, it was lifted to where, it lifted to when? How many trees should they be cutting?” Muhia asked.

The MP said she had raised the matter through a statement in Parliament and warned that local leaders could take further action if their concerns remained unresolved.

“So I have raised this through a statement in Parliament but we feel we may use our constitutional right to stop the truck from entering our forest,” she added.

The leaders want greater involvement of local stakeholders in decisions affecting the forest and clarity on the rules governing the current harvesting exercise.

Photo of Kipipiri member of parliament Wanjiku Muhia while attending a funeral service in Meru on October 3
PHOTO/Muhia/FB

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Forest Conservator Defends Tree Harvesting

However, Nyandarua County Forest Conservator Daniel Mkung has dismissed claims that the ongoing activities amount to deforestation, saying the harvesting targets mature and over-mature trees in designated commercial plantations.

Speaking during the Mazingira Day tree-planting exercise at Njabini Kiburu Forest Station, one of the areas where harvesting has been taking place, Mkung said the exercise followed an established work plan.

He said 50 sawmillers had received authorisation to harvest trees from designated plantations and maintained that indigenous trees were not being cut.

“There are things being said in the media but everything has a work plan, we know when to cut, how much to cut…we can’t go beyond that and it is only restricted kwa ile miti ya kizungu ile inapandwa kuvunwa, hatukati miti ya kiasili,” Mkung said.

Mkung said Kenya has approximately 152,000 hectares of industrial plantation forests managed for commercial timber production. He added that sawmillers operating in Nyandarua were authorised to harvest trees from 250 hectares annually.

According to the conservator, the exercise supports employment and generates revenue for the government.

“These areas that we harvest support 10,000 people… wale wanategemea msitu kwa ukulima… last year we collected Ksh.217 million for the exchequer,” he added.

The forest authorities maintain that harvesting plantation trees is part of routine forest management, while residents and local leaders continue to question its potential environmental impact.

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Sawmillers Defend Logging, Cite Jobs and Revenue

The Rift Valley, Central and Eastern Sawmillers Association has also defended the ongoing harvesting, insisting that the exercise targets mature and over-mature plantation trees rather than natural forests.

In a statement issued on Saturday, October 10, the association rejected claims that the activities involved uncontrolled tree felling or the clearing of indigenous forests.

The association said the harvesting involved legally authorised commercial plantations and followed an open tender process.

“Plantation trees are a crop. They are planted to be grown and harvested on rotation,” the statement read.

It argued that leaving trees beyond maturity could lead to decay, reduce their commercial value and deny the government revenue from timber sales.

According to the association, harvesting mature trees also allows the land to be prepared for the next planting cycle while maintaining timber supplies for the local market.

“This is standard plantation management. It is not the clearing of natural forest, and it is not uncontrolled felling,” the association said.

The sawmillers maintained that their operations complied with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015, the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Regulations, 2020, the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016, and the Forests (Harvesting) Rules, 2009.

The association further said the harvesting was restricted to authorised quantities and plantation trees that had reached maturity.

Sawmillers Warn of Economic Impact

The association defended the industry on economic grounds, saying timber production supports jobs in sawmilling, wood processing, furniture making, joinery and fuelwood supply chains.

It estimated that sawmilling and wood processing, including supporting services, account for approximately 300,000 jobs across the wider sector.

It also placed livelihoods supported by furniture making and joinery at between 125,000 and 160,000, while fuelwood and charcoal value chains sustain several hundred thousand more.

“When supply is interrupted, mills idle and prices rise,” the statement said.

The association warned that disruptions to timber supplies could affect businesses, workers and consumers who depend on the industry.

It also said it worked with local community forest associations on replanting efforts and invited nurseries, schools, faith groups and residents to contribute seedlings and labour.

“Our commitment is clear: only the volumes authorised by tender, only plantation material that has reached maturity, and the land restored with the communities who live beside it,” the statement read.

The association said it welcomed verification and responsible scrutiny of its activities.

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Photo of Aberdare Forest in Nyandarua County
PHOTO/KFS