culminating in the recently concluded Auditor General’s Report.

During this moratorium businesses have suffered, livelihoods have been disrupted, saw millers have been auctioned due to unserviced loans, health issues raging from pressure –related complications to mental cases have been reported among our members.

The construction industry in Kenya has since been relying on imported timber from neighboring countries. This has led to massive cash freights in addition to consumers getting products that don’t meet the required standards. In a recent colloquium at KEFRI headquarters, the KEFRI CEO Dr. Kiboiwo highlighted statistics that painted some disturbing images on the trade imbalance.

The other source of timber has been private farms. Demand-driven pressure has been on the private farms where underage trees have been over exploited. This raises concerns over the quality of timber being injected into the market and the effects this has on the quality of end use.

In the same vein and as we reopen the forest, let us consider closing private farms to ease pressure on the same and allow the trees to mature.

It is worth noting that commercial trees are a crop like any other with planting and harvest seasons. After massive investments by the government in forests over years, trees have over- matured far beyond the maturity age. This has caused massive rots with trees that were meant for timber ending up as fuel wood at the best. The consequent price disparity is disturbing. Job, time and revenue losses follow. Mt. Kenya and Ukambani counties are among the most affected by this state of affairs. Makueni for instance has double the amount of materials ready for harvesting to that in Kiambu.

The sad end result is that the KFS mandate has been partially fulfilled when tree growing efforts do not match harvesting. This is totally an- unscientific way of managing plantation forests. This state of affairs has created serious animosity between the government and communities that depend on timber industry especially in Mount Kenya and the rift valley regions. To sort this out, we propose that the government moves swiftly to release and implement the Auditor General’s Report which will allow immediate access to the paid-for-but-unharvested materials. This will be a major painkiller before the tender for sale of materials are advertised. This proposal does not in any way shield or exonerate any industry player whose credibility in dealing with KFS may have been identified as wanting. Such should be dealt with in accordance with the prevailing regulations and the law.

All the counties that issued a memorandum to the PS-environment dis-associating themselves with the court case should be allowed to do business. This will help deter unwarranted and disruptive litigations by timber industry investors in future. Problems in one county should not be allowed to disrupt business in the entire country. The use of circuit breakers in buildings is a perfect example.

We take the earliest opportunity to assure the government that we have learnt our lessons, we have reformed, reorganized and ready to support the government’s reform agenda for posterity.

By doing this the government will have played its role as a peace and unifying agent and consequently boost support to government agenda including the on-going preparation for elections

Finally we encourage the government to embrace dialogue and public participation especially now that we have a credible Association before major decisions touching on the industry are made. We also appeal for support both financial and technical to strengthen the Association in order to deliver on our promises.