President William Ruto has turned down a request to allow farmers to till and carry out other agricultural activities in the forest.
Speaking in Kericho, Ruto told the residents that his administration will not lift an embargo placed on forest farming unless fresh regulations are formulated.
The Head of State told the residents that his administration would only ease the restrictions if farmers agreed not to cut down trees during farming.
"What do you want to do inside the forest? I have been informed that those who go to rear their animals in the forest go armed with axes to cut down trees," Ruto stated.
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"You will not be allowed inside the forest until you prove to me that these people will not go to cut down trees," Ruto insisted.
The Head of State argued that cutting down trees was the leading cause of the change in weather patterns which have affected farmers and led to drought.
He insisted that his administration was keen on protecting the environment from any form of destruction.
This comes months after the court overturned an order allowing loggers to harvest trees. Justice Oscar Angote of the Environment and Lands Court restored a moratorium banning tree cutting following a case by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) challenging Ruto’s order directive allowing logging.
On July 2, 2023, the President, speaking in Molo, Nakuru County, issued a directive that abolished the law that had prohibited tree-cutting and was heavily criticised "for allowing people to prioritize business interests over environmental concerns".
