Igembe North MP threatens to flush out corrupt forest officers

A section of Mt Kenya forest. Igembe North MP Mr Joseph M’Eruaki has threatened to mobilise his constituents to flush out Kenya Forest Service officers from Ngaya forest accusing them of contribution towards its destruction. He claimed that the officers were selling trees from the forest adding that if this continued the forest will soon be no more. PHOTO|FILE. 

In Summary

• Mr M’Eruaki said that the region will soon become a desert if the leaders did not come together to safeguard the forests in the region against those destroying it.
• He said that if the concerned leaders will not have taken any action by next week, he will mobilise his people who will go into the forest and flush out all the officers from there.
• The MP also claimed that the officers were harassing women who go to fetch firewood in the forest.
• The issue of destruction of forests was raised by Njuri Ncheke Chairmana Mr Linus Kathera who said that burning of charcoal had become rampant in the area.

By DICKSON MWITI
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Igembe North MP Mr Joseph M’Eruaki has threatened to mobilise his constituents to flush out Kenya Forest Service officers from Ngaya forest accusing them of contribution towards its destruction.

Speaking in Laare, Mr M’Eruaki said that the region will soon become a desert if leaders did not come together to safeguard the forests in the region against those destroying them.

He gave an example of Ngaya forest which is the largest forest in that area and which the residents depend on for rain and other benefits, which he alleged has been destroyed by the Kenya Forest Service officers who were mandated to protect it.

He claimed that the officers were selling trees from the forest adding that if this continued the forest will soon be no more.

“The rate at which the officers are selling the trees from that forest especially at night is alarming and we don’t want them there anymore.

They are more of a problem than a benefit to us,” he said.

He said that he had talked to the Meru County forest director concerning this issue who promised to take action but so far nothing has been done.

Mr M’Eruaki said that if the concerned leaders will not have taken any action by next week, he will mobilise his people who will go into the forest and flush out all the officers from there.

He further said that Igembe North Constituency was being taken as a no man’s land where every person could do whatever they felt was good for them.

“It is the high time that people recognised our constituency and learnt how to respect it together with its resources.

We shall not stand back and watch everyone coming in and doing what they deem fit whereas the residents are suffering from such actions,” he said.

HARASS WOMEN

The MP also claimed that the officers were harassing women who go to fetch firewood in the forest.

The officers, he said, first issue the women with unofficial receipts which are just pieces of paper torn from exercise books.

They then wait for them as they come from the forest with their firewood and accuse them of illegal entry into the forest, the MP added.

The women are then arrested and taken to court where heavy fines are imposed on them.

Most end up in prison as they cannot afford to pay the fines.

The issue of destruction of forests was raised by Njuri Ncheke Chairmana Mr Linus Kathera who said that burning of charcoal had become rampant in the area which if not stopped turn the region into a desert in the near future.

He said that it was the high time that leaders joined hands to protect their resources to safeguard the environment.