Logging companies are now waiting for the shot to start cutting trees, banned since 2018 in Kenya, which has been announced by President William Ruto, a decision that has been met with displeasure by environmental groups, PL reports.

The lifting of the ban was belated; Resuming logging will help create jobs and reopen businesses, the president said during a sermon at a church in Molo, northwest.

He added that “we cannot allow trees to rot in the forests while the population suffers from a lack of wood (…) That is why we decided to open the forests and produce wood …”.

However, he clarified that his government is maintaining the goal of planting 15 million trees over the next decade.

The environmental organization Greenpeace responded to the president’s words by issuing a statement warning that “the decision to lift the ban) could have devastating consequences for the environment.”

The text adds that “the Kenyan forests are home to rare and endangered species (…) millions of people depend on them for food and medicine.”

It also highlights that “since a logging ban six years ago, significant progress has been made in Kenya in protecting flora and combating climate change.”

Source: Juventud Rebelde