Kenya: Mt Kenya Sawmillers Deny Deforestation Claims, Defend Aberdare Logging

What the report says

Sawmillers operating in Kenya’s Central Highlands Conservancy have rejected claims that logging in and around the Aberdare Forest is causing deforestation. In a press conference in Nyeri, the industry group said the work being carried out is regulated plantation harvesting, not illegal removal of indigenous forest, and it accused some politicians of misleading the public about the source and purpose of the timber.

The association’s chairman, Jackson Wachira, said the trees being cut are mature plantation trees, including older stands that have deteriorated after years of logging restrictions. He argued that harvesting is necessary for timber and fuel supply and said the activity follows existing forestry rules. The group also said some logs now being transported were bought before a government moratorium on logging, and should not automatically be treated as evidence of fresh illegal cutting.

The sawmillers are drawn from Nyeri, Laikipia, Murang’a and Kirinyaga counties. Their defence comes amid broader scrutiny of logging in Kenya’s forested water towers, including Aberdare, Mt Kenya and North Rift areas, where truck movements have raised questions about compliance with forestry regulations. Opposition figures have accused the government of failing to protect critical water catchments, while the sawmillers said they want critics to seek clarification from the Kenya Forest Service before drawing conclusions.