President William Ruto lifted the ban on logging to allow for the harvesting of mature trees only in forests countrywide.
He noted that there is need to utilise mature timber for commercial purposes rather than letting it rot in the forest.
During a public engagement at the Molo Technical and Vocational College in Elburgon, Molo Constituency in Nakuru County, on Monday, President Ruto said: “We shall reopen the timber factories here in Elburgon.
I have told my Minister of Trade, Mr Lee Kinyanjui, that importing furniture from China must end. We will use our wood to make furniture.”
He added that the government will begin selling mature trees, in all forests across the country, to local sawmillers in the coming weeks.
He, however, cautioned that the conditional lifting of the ban should not be misused as a license to engage in wanton destruction of forests.
The President said he will be meeting saw millers from the region on Tuesday to agree on the responsible logging.
He said the timber harvested locally would be used to make local furniture to furnish the affordable houses under construction.
“Furniture in Kenya will use timber from here, and our Kenyan youth will create that furniture,” he said.
