In a recent development, the Environment and Land Court in Kenya issued interim orders against a policy directive revived by President William Ruto in July which aimed to end a moratorium on logging. The directive was put under scrutiny, pending the hearing and outcome of a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
Furthermore, Justice Oscar Angote, the presiding judge, also handed down conservatory orders freezing government plans to re-integrate the Shamba System. This system previously allowed individuals to farm on government-owned forest land. He also prohibited the state from granting any licenses or permits.
The LSK posits that the recommencement of logging in Kenya neglects the fundamental role forests play in curbing climate change, conserving biodiversity, and protecting vital ecosystems. It was outlined in Article 69 of the Constitution of Kenya that the state must “eliminate processes and activities that would endanger the environment.”
Echoing public concerns over illegal logging, ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta imposed the logging ban in Kenya back in 2018. However, current President Ruto defended lifting the ban, stating that the decision was prompted by the need to boost economies that depend on forest products. He asserted that his administration had devised plans to limit harvesting to mature trees while promoting reforestation.
Among the respondents in the case, including the Attorney General Justin Muturi, Environment Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, the Climate Change and Forestry Department, the Kenya Forest Service and the National Environment Management Authority, have been given a 5-day period to provide their responses. The case is set to be heard inter-partes on August 14, 2023.
Read more about this case here.