Kenya Forest Service Rangers (KFSR) are facing a shortage of houses to live in, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Alex Lemarkoko has said.
Mr. Lemarkoko said that the shortage came about after the recent recruitment of 2,700 rangers, who are now living in tents and others outside their camps across the country.
In this regard, the CCF appealed to the government and other stakeholders in conservation to assist in the construction of houses in an effort to overcome the shortage facing his officers.
“I thank the government for allowing us to recruit 2,700 rangers, but this has occasioned some of them living in tents and others outside the camps due to inadequate houses. I urge the government and stakeholders in conservation to help us construct new houses to enable our officers to have a habitable place to live,” Lemarkoko said on Thursday at Kibwezi Forest Station.
He said this after opening new office premises in Kibwezi town and houses for rangers to live in, constructed by the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).
This was occasioned when their houses were demolished to pave the way for the construction of the standard gauge railway (SGR).
On grazing, Lemarkoko warned herders against grazing in natural forests and areas where trees have been planted, saying it is illegal according to the Kenya Conservation Wildlife Act.
However, he said that grazing can be allowed in planted forests that are four years old under controlled grazing, while saying his officers were in the process of driving out lodgers (that live in the forest to graze).
“We don’t allow animals to graze in natural or protected forest areas, as it is illegal. My officers are in the process of driving out lodgers grazing in the forests as they impact negatively since they reverse our gains in conservation efforts,” said Lemarkoko.
By Patrick Nyakundi
