Kenyan Government to Pay Farmers to Conserve Forests

Text of report by Paul Gitau and Isaac Ongiri entitled “Farmers to be paid to conserve forests” published by Kenyan privately-owned daily newspaper The Standard website on 3 September; subheading as published

The government and various international corporations will pay farmers to plant and protect forests.

Forestry and Wildlife Minister Noah Wekesa said forest played a major role in storing carbondioxide and producing carbon credit that would go along way in containing global warming.

Kenya will be the first country in Africa where farmers will benefit from the carbon credit project.

” Global warming is a result of excessive emission of carbondioxide and due to lack of forests, the gas cannot be contained, thus endangering the world with excessive heat”, he said.

The minister was speaking at the Kipepeo Butterfly farm in after touring the Arabuko Sokoke Forests in Malindi [south of Mombasa].

He said farmers would be paid according to the number of trees they plant, adding they would sensitize farmers on the importance of planting and conserving forests.

Other benefits

He said residents could benefit from forests in other ways other than through timber and charcoal burning.

Dr Wekesa said Mau, Mt Elgon, Aberdares and Mt Kenya forests must be conserved and dismissed those advocating for the land to be subdivided among residents.

“Even if the forests were subdivided, the land is inadequate and we shall just be endangering our country because forests are our major water source, he said.

Meanwhile, the government has prepared a draft bill that would raise the compensation for deaths resulting from wildlife attacks from 30,000 shillings [about 400 dollars] to 1m shillings [14,000 dollars].

Wekesa said he would table the bill in parliament next month.

Wekesa, who was speaking at Isinya [southern Kenya], said the ministry had proposed the compensation of people whose farms were destroyed by wild animals and increased payment for those who had survived with injuries.

The minister also said the government was keen to reclaim land set aside for wildlife corridors that had been grabbed adding that the government would review the colonial Wildlife Act.

Originally published by The Standard website, Nairobi, in English 3 Sep 08.

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