34 rogue KFS officers fired after Ruto order
President William Ruto inspects a guard of honour during the pass-out ceremony for 2,664 Kenya Forest Service recruits at the NYS ground in Gilgil on October 11, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Of those affected, a chief inspector from Kisumu County office has been dismissed for abetting crime.
- Five officers have however survived the purge, as they were only given warning letters and surcharged.
Over 30 Kenya Forest Service (KFS) managers and rangers have been fired, just weeks after President William Ruto ordered their sacking to rid the institution of graft.
Although the President had ordered the immediate dismissal of 23 officers allegedly implicated in corruption dealings, the Nation has reliably established 50 have been under probe, leading to the firing of 34.
A Ministry of Environment and Forestry document details cases of those under investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on charges of complicity in forest destruction, corruption, negligence of duty and incompetence.
Five officers have however survived the purge, as they were only given warning letters and surcharged, three were absolved of any wrong-doing and eight others still have pending cases.
Of those affected, a chief inspector from Kisumu County office has been dismissed for abetting crime as well an inspector based in Nakuru’s Baraget station, for illegal logging.
Three sergeants from Baringo, Elgeyo/Marakwet and Nakuru counties, forest stations being Ol’Arabel, Cherangany, Sururu and Kiptunga areas respectively, were also not spared the axe as they were accused of abetting forest destruction and illegal logging.
Two senior foresters in charge of Baringo and Nakuru counties, stationed at Koibateka and Baraget were shown the door, accused of abetting forest destruction.
Also in the list of those sent packing are seven foresters in the counties of Elgeyo/Marakwet, Kericho, Nakuru, Nyandarua and Tharaka/Nithi. The nature of offence for the affected officers who were stationed in Cherangany, Sorget, Malagat, Sururu, Nakuru, Kiptunga, Geta and Chogoria, ranged from abetting forest destruction, negligence, illegal logging and illegal harvesting.
The list that the Saturday Nation has exclusively obtained, also has two corporal forest guards sacked as well as 18 forest rangers (constables) drawn from eight counties.
The corporal forest guards were based in Malagat, Sururu and Chogoria in the counties of Kericho, Nakuru and Tharaka/Nithi.
Similarly, the 18 rangers affected were based in Sururu, Enapot, Ol’Arabel, Baraget, Londiani, Chemorgok, Koibatek, Malagat, Sorget and Ndaragwa forest stations and accused of abetting forest destruction, negligence, illegal, assault and misuse of firearms/riffle.
“Some of the affected officers were already on terminal leave by the time their cases were concluded and dismissal letters dispatched to them,” explained an officer aware of the probe.
According to the ministry, its department of forestry launched an investigation into the activities of the implicated officers, that saw some sent on terminal leave pending probe.
President Ruto while speaking in Nakuru County on October 11, when he presided over the passing out of forest rangers at Gilgil announced his government’s decision to clean-up the KFS.
"There must be a thorough clean-up in KFS. I have instructed the KFS board that all those engaged in corruption be fired and be taken to court. We have already found 23 forest," Ruto disclosed.
He also tasked Cabinet Secretary for Environment Soipan Tuya to spearhead the clean-up and carry out reforms in the agency.
He cautioned then that those who had led to the destruction of forests be removed from the government and struck out of the payroll.
“These are people who are saboteurs,” he said.
The President was categorical that he would not allow a few people involved in criminal activities to jeopardise the sustainability of the forests for the growth of our economy, jobs and country.
The illegal activities not only are a risk to existence of the forests, but also threatens and endangers species.
Forests such as Cherangany, Kakamega, Mt Elgon, Aberdare Ranges Forest and Mau are under threat. When Kenya gained independence in 1963, 10 percent of the country was covered in forest.
By 2009, this number had dropped to six percent as a result of charcoal and timber production, agriculture expansion, unregulated logging and urbanisation.
With issues of climate change, human activities has had a number of other devastating impacts, including soil erosion, increased flooding and dramatically reduced availability of fresh water during droughts.
According to the 2017 report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) about 70,000 hectares of forests is lost to illegal logging every year.
The Mau Forest for instance, is one of those forests under threat, although the government has embarked on the relocation of squatters who had encroached and will next month launch the restoration exercise.
The President threatened businesses and individuals engaged in illicit logging with severe consequences, vowing to take decisive action against those who seek to profit from environmental damage.
In July, Dr Ruto lifted a nearly six-year ban on logging, intending to stimulate employment and support sectors reliant on forest products, this caused a public uproar.
The ban, imposed in 2018, was aimed at curbing illegal logging and increasing Kenya's forest cover to 10 percent but CS Tuya, clarified that lifting the ban only applies to commercial plantations and not indigenous forests.
The ministry officials are optimistic that the hiring of 2,664 new forest rangers, will address issues of staff capacity.
