Makueni County Assembly Clashes With National Government Over Planned Forest Harvesting

By Andrew Mbuva.

A simmering dispute is emerging between the Makueni County Government and the National Government over plans by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to harvest mature trees in public forests, after the Makueni County Assembly passed a motion suspending all commercial logging activities in the county.

The Assembly’s move, passed on Tuesday, sets the stage for a potential standoff with the national forestry agency, which has already conducted public participation exercises across the country ahead of the planned harvesting of mature and over-mature forest plantations.

In the motion moved by Mbooni MCA Alexander Mulemba, the Assembly directed an immediate freeze on all commercial and large-scale logging activities in public forests across Makueni County until proper environmental safeguards are reviewed and approved.

The legislators argued that crucial legal documents — including the Makueni County Environmental Action Plan and specific forest management plans — had not been presented to the Assembly for oversight as required by law. 

According to the motion, the lack of these documents raises concerns that logging could threaten key water catchment areas that sustain both the highland and lowland regions of the county, including areas stretching from Mtito Andei, Makindu and Kibwezi to Kathonzweni and Masongaleni.

While moving the motion, Mulemba cited constitutional provisions guaranteeing environmental protection.

“Article 42 of the Constitution provides for every person’s right to a clean and healthy environment, including the right to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations,” Mulemba told the Assembly.

He added that Article 69 obligates both national and county governments to ensure sustainable management and preservation of natural resources.

Several Members of the County Assembly voiced strong opposition to the planned logging, warning that it could trigger environmental degradation and worsen climate challenges in the already semi-arid county.

Majority Leader and Kithungo/Kitundu MCA Kisungi Katete reminded the Assembly of past efforts to protect forests from illegal loggers.

“We remember as an Assembly we had to move to Kivale and other forests when they were threatened by loggers,” Katete said.

“We are sending a message to the people of Makueni that by all means we shall continue protecting our forests because some areas are very dry and they rely on these forests to receive rains.”

Kako/Waia MCA Dennis Musyoka warned that cutting trees in fragile forest ecosystems could lead to serious environmental consequences, including landslides and soil erosion.

“When people talk about cutting trees or harvesting timber in our forests, I would think that is like committing suicide,” Musyoka said.

“Just a few years ago, mudslides in Dam forests killed one person. If we allow this harvesting, it will lead to soil erosion and destruction of our infrastructure.”

Musyoka also lamented that while the national government was keen on forest harvesting, it had not sufficiently supported counties in managing environmental resources.

The debate also took a political turn, with Nominated MCA Albanus Wambua, popularly known as Clr Kana, warning that residents would resist any logging activities perceived as harmful.

“If the Kenya Forest Service allows this logging, we are going to mobilize the people of Makueni and we are going to stop them,” he declared.

Wambua urged fellow MCAs to avoid meetings organized around the logging exercise, claiming the process could expose the county to exploitation.

Nominated MCA Feimata Ndunda also cautioned that allowing harvesting could open the door to illegal logging networks.

“When we allow this logging, it is a recipe for illegal logging,” she said. “This is a door we are going to open and it may never be closed anytime soon.”

However, the Kenya Forest Service has maintained that the planned harvesting targets only mature and over-mature plantation forests that risk deteriorating if not utilized.

Speaking during a public participation forum in Wote, KFS Senior Deputy Conservator of Forests Dr. Clement Ng’oriareng assured residents that strict supervision mechanisms were in place.

“We have strict supervision from the forest station manager and enforcement teams to ensure that the bidder who has been allocated materials harvests only within the designated blocks,” Dr. Ng’oriareng said.

He explained that some plantations had already surpassed their productive age and were beginning to decay.

“These plantations cover about 3,143 hectares that have overgrown or over-matured. If we delay further, we risk losing them because some trees are already falling, rotting, or developing internal defects,” he added.

According to KFS, the harvesting program is part of sustainable forest management and includes replanting initiatives to ensure long-term forest regeneration.

The Makueni County Government has taken a more cautious approach, calling for meaningful engagement between national authorities and local institutions before any harvesting begins.

Makueni Lands and Environment Executive Dr. Paul Musila said the county had received formal communication from the national government regarding the public participation exercise.

“Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. received a letter from the National Government through the Kenya Forest Service about this exercise, and that is why we are here,” Musila said during the Wote meeting.

He emphasized the role of Community Forest Associations (CFAs) in determining the future of forest resources.

“These associations consist of residents who live near these forests and whose livelihoods are closely connected to them. These resources belong not only to local communities but to all citizens, and no activity should take place without community involvement,” he said.

As part of the resolution, the Assembly has petitioned the Senate of Kenya to ensure the Cabinet Secretary responsible for forestry complies with the law before any harvesting proceeds.

The Assembly also recommended that KFS formally engage both the Office of the Governor and the County Assembly to address concerns raised by local leaders and residents.

Despite the Assembly’s directive, the public participation exercise organized by KFS continued in Wote on Wednesday, drawing stakeholders from both the national and county governments.

The unfolding situation reflects a broader tension between devolved governments and national agencies over control and management of natural resources.

While forestry remains largely under national jurisdiction, county governments are responsible for environmental planning and local development, creating overlapping mandates that often require careful coordination.

With the Assembly labeling the planned harvesting as “illegal logging” and KFS insisting it is a sustainable forestry exercise, observers warn that the issue could escalate into a full-scale intergovernmental dispute unless a compromise is reached.

For residents of Makueni — a county already grappling with climate variability and water scarcity — the outcome of the dispute could determine the future of its fragile forest ecosystems.