Court halts Aberdare forest logging regardless of licence status

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 14 — The Environment and Land Court in Nyandarua has suspended all logging activities in Aberdare Forest, regardless of operators’ licence status, pending further orders in a case challenging harvesting activities in the critical water catchment area.

Justice Mugo Kamau issued the conservatory orders on Wednesday following an urgent petition filed by Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia and a resident, Elijah Gachuki, seeking intervention over logging activities in the forest.

The ruling comes amid growing public scrutiny of tree harvesting in the Aberdares, with politicians and environmental concerns groups raising alarm over the potential destruction of one of Kenya’s key water towers.

The court’s intervention comes hours after sawmillers operating in the Central Highlands Conservancy defended their activities, insisting that the harvesting involves mature trees in commercial plantations and is conducted under established management guidelines.

‘Plantation management’

Speaking at a press conference in Nyeri on Tuesday, the association’s Chairman, Jackson Wachira, rejected allegations that sawmillers were contributing to the destruction of the Aberdare Forest, accusing politicians of misleading the public about the nature of ongoing harvesting.

“As sawmillers, we want to say that claims of outside log harvesting are a lie. What is happening in Aberdare is harvesting of mature trees in line with plantation management. Let no one lie to Kenyans that we are destroying our ecosystem,” Wachira said.

He argued that prolonged restrictions on logging had left some commercial plantations with ageing and rotting trees that needed to be harvested for timber and fuel.

Wachira also maintained that harvesting and silvicultural activities were governed by written rules and regulations, urging politicians to seek clarification from the Kenya Forest Service before making claims about forest destruction.

The association further argued that the timber industry generates revenue for counties and reduces reliance on imported timber products.

However, the sawmillers did not provide documentary evidence establishing the origin of logs being transported from the forest or confirming that all ongoing harvesting complied with regulations.

Forest conservation

The logging debate has intensified amid concerns over the movement of large trucks carrying timber from forest areas and questions about whether harvesting activities comply with existing regulations.

Opposition leaders, led by Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, have accused President William Ruto’s administration of presiding over the destruction of critical water towers through illegal logging.

The sawmillers have rejected the allegations, maintaining that their operations involve professional plantation management rather than indiscriminate destruction of forests.

The court order now places all logging activities on hold irrespective of licence status, pending further directions in the case.

The dispute highlights the competing concerns surrounding commercial timber production and the protection of forest ecosystems that sustain water supplies for millions of Kenyans.