Duale: I will go after senior State officials, MPs who grabbed forest land
Environment CS nominee Aden Duale
Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary nominee Aden Duale has vowed to revoke the title deeds of senior government officials and members of parliament who he says have grabbed forest land.
Mr Duale told the National Assembly's Appointments Committee that he had been briefed about people who had grabbed forest land and that if he was confirmed he would go after them without mercy.
The Defence CS told the vetting committee that he was ready to face the consequences of stepping on the toes of senior officials who he said had allocated themselves forest land.
“In the last two years, there have been people who got illegal titles and Mr speaker some of your members will be casualties. Grabbers of forest land will be my business, whoever they are, whatever their status in the country, I’m coming for you,” Mr Duale said.
If you are listening to me now and you are anywhere and you have allocated some forest land, be warned," Mr Duale added.
Mr Duale said he was ready to put an end to the history of forest land grabbing by powerful individuals and to deal with the history of forest grabbing that is as old as the history of Kenya.
"Mr Speaker, some of your members will be casualties," Mr Duale said.
Mr Duale regretted that there are many forest-related petitions ranging from forest grabbing across the country to construction of buildings in forests.
He told the committee that if approved, he will consolidate all the petitions and take them to Cabinet where a memo will be issued on how to deal with some of the issues raised.
He also addressed the thorny issue of people encroaching on forests and using them as grazing land.
"In some of the forests, powerful people in the government are grazing in those forests. I'm sorry to say this," Mr Duale said.
If confirmed, Mr Duale outlined a three-point vision he has for the country's forests, saying he will change the way trees are planted.
Going forward, Mr Duale said if he is approved, he will embark on a programme of forest restoration through a bottom-up approach of tree planting exercise.
Mr Duale also said if approved, 2.15 per cent of the trees planted will be fruit trees, the move he said will encourage the community to see the benefits of the exercise.
The former Majority Leader also said he would work closely with the private sector in restoring degraded forests.
