Government officials in Samburu have destroyed illegally logged sandalwood estimated to be worth Sh2.4 million after the conclusion of court cases on the seized woods.
Some 600kgs of the endangered tree species were Wednesday burned in a ceremony led by a multi-agency team that comprised of officials from Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the county’s top security team.
Logs that had been impounded since last year were destroyed at Wamba Police Station where they had been preserved. The cases concerning the logs had been concluded and the suspects who were caught with the wood jailed for seven years each.
Sandalwood, mostly found within community land, is a close-grained fragrant yellowish heartwood with insect repelling properties.
Samburu County KFS Ecosystem Conservator Charles Ochieng said the government is doing everything possible to curb illegal sandalwood trade through the use of a multi-agency security team.
The teams include National Police Service, Kenya KFS, KWS and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Mr Ochieng said that the rare shrub is under threat of dying in Samburu forests due to constant illegal harvesting, but revealed that interventions have been put in place to save the trees.
"The endangered species (sandalwood) is getting extinct and if [illegal logging is] not stopped, there will be none for future generations. It therefore calls for combined efforts from leaders and also the community to be part of the team involved in protecting the endangered species. I think we will win this fight," Mr Ochieng said on Wednesday.
The official also revealed that most community members in Samburu are collaborating with unscrupulous individuals to cut down the trees which are in great demand.
It is said that the community is well armed and often provide suspects with protection from security authorities.
According to experts, the tree is used as raw a material in the production of perfumes and lotions and is usually trafficked through porous borders to neighbouring countries.
Mr Ochieng urged stakeholders to work together to check the illegal trade, even as he put those involved on notice.
“We are dealing with a serious concern that involves clever smugglers who keep changing tactics. We have security agencies everywhere and we have intercepted tonnes of sandalwood being smuggled outside the county. No Sandalwood will be ferried past Samburu borders. We shall continue the fight,” he said.
Samburu County Criminal Investigation Officer Dennis Oango said they have sealed all loopholes to ensure no piece of sandalwood gets past Samburu borders easily.
"Dealers have changed tactics of transporting sandalwood but we have set a very strong joint security team. No piece of sandalwood is ferried past this region,” the official said, urging locals to stop cutting down the trees.
He called on conservancies and residents to cooperate with the security authorities in the area to fight the vice.
Almost every part of the tree — leaves, stem, roots and even barks — has an economic value and is now turning traders into millionaires in the North Rift.
The tree is being harvested illegally in forests within Samburu County and other parts of the North Rift including Pokot and Baringo counties.
It is said that some ‘big names’ including well-known politicians, several administrators and security personnel are running the multi-million shillings illegal business, thus making difficult to control it.
