The Kitui county government through its governor Charity Kaluki Ngilu has banned charcoal burning, Sand harvesting and all related activities in the county citing environmental risks.
Speaking shortly after a closed door meeting with all stakeholders including the county government commissioner, governor Ngilu noted that her adminstration was not going to sit back and watch as Kitui residents continue to suffer due to the dirty businesses.
“We have met here today to make this major decision, that we have heard the outcry of our people who are really suffering because rivers are drying up. Our forests are obviously being cleared because of charcoal burning and we have said that time is now for us to take action.And the action that we have agreed upon is that from tonight, from now on, we are not going to have any more charcoal burning, and we are not going to have anymore sand harvesting.” said governor Ngilu.
The governor further noted that lorries will not be allowed to get to the rivers anytime be it day or night.
Speaking in affirmative to the governor’s words, the Kitui county commissioner Boaz Cheruitich promised full cooperation from the national government together with the police force to ensure the directive was fully implemented.
“We have had a closed door meeting with delegates from the two levels of government and discussed in depth on environmental protection…..There is massive destruction of forests. We have made a collective decision which we are going to implement. On our part as the national government, we have agreed with the security officers that they are going to implement and enforce this directive.” said the commissioner.
Consequently, transportation of forest produce be it charcoal or any other product, whether licenced or otherwise has been banned in the county.