President Ruto Takes Strong Measures Against Corruption in Kenya Forest Service
President William Ruto is deeply concerned about the behavior of some officials in the Kenya Forest Service (KFS).
He wants to make sure that the service is free from corruption and that its members are skilled and trustworthy.
President Ruto spoke about this on Wednesday, October 11, when he oversaw the graduation of 2,664 new Forest Rangers in Gilgil.
President Ruto didn’t mince words.
He said, “Twenty-three forest managers and rangers have so far been found, and from tomorrow I do not want them to be on government payroll. These are people who are saboteurs.”
He addressed the new rangers and their families at the National Youth Service in Gilgil Barracks.
“The tragedy that has been the Kenya forest conversation must come to an end,”
He also mentioned the ongoing problems with Kenya’s forests, saying, “There are many who have let us down.
The reason why I made the decision to recruit the largest ever group of ranger trainees is because the matter of climate change is critical and poses an existential crisis.”
He insisted that the corrupt officials should be investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
The president is committed to protecting the environment and addressing climate change through his Kenya Kwanza administration.
He believes that the newly trained rangers can make a big difference in safeguarding Kenya’s forests.
He said, “There are many who have let us down.
The reason why I made the decision to recruit the largest ever group of ranger trainees is because the matter of climate change is critical and poses an existential crisis.”
President Ruto also acknowledged that we face challenges in protecting our forests because we don’t have enough forest ranger officers.
He hopes that the newly trained rangers will help preserve Kenya’s forests and fight climate change.
He added, “You are expected to be drivers of our National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Programme and lead our organizations, communities, and, especially, the youth, in making sure that our ambition to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 is actualized on time.”
He also talked about how extreme weather, like long droughts and floods, causes problems like hunger and the loss of animals and plants.
These issues are mainly caused by harmful human activities, such as cutting down trees and using the land in unsustainable ways.
The President wants to use the resources from our forests to create jobs for young people in carpentry and furniture making.
He doesn’t like the idea of importing furniture when we can produce it here in Kenya.
He said, “In this year’s financial budget, we’ve placed taxes on those who want to import furniture to Kenya when we have people who can make furniture.”
Furthermore, President Ruto is serious about stopping illegal logging. He has warned that businesses and people involved in this illegal activity will face tough consequences.
He lifted a ban on logging earlier this year, which had been in place for almost six years, with the aim of creating jobs and helping industries that rely on forest products.
The ban was first imposed in 2018 to stop illegal logging and increase Kenya’s forest cover to 10 percent.
