Sawmill firms owe Kenya Forest Service more than Sh1.2 billion and the agency is moving in to collect the debt that has accumulated since 2012.
The directive issued to millers to pay the debt comes as the forest agency finalises fresh digital registration of sawmills.
Through a notice in the local dailies, KFS directed all millers seeking digital registration should clear the outstanding debts. The agency is targeting to collect Sh1,201,130,508 from sawmills for trees sold to them over the last six years.
“Please note that those who owe KFS will not be eligible for e-registration unless the amounts owed are settled in full immediately,” read the notice in part.
According to the KFS release, Nakuru based Comply Limited owes the agency the largest debt of over Sh103 million.
The document also reveals that the forests agency sold trees worth more than Sh2.3 billion during the six-year period.
In its recovery efforts, KFS is not holding back and has threatened to use legal channels to recover the funds.
“Please note that KFS will utilise all legal avenue to have these debts settled in full,” the notice read.
Illegal logging
The move follows recommendations by a forestry task force that was appointed to investigate illegal logging and the mess at KFS.
The task force had revealed issues of irregular allocation of plantations in government forests as well as insufficient funding of KFS.
Already a ban on logging inside the forests is in place as KFS continues to put its house in order.
At the same time an inter-ministerial committee is investigating water shortage and low water levels in rivers in catchment zones.
The committee formulated from the Water and Environment ministries is looking into issues regarding degradation of water towers across the country.
The investigations could see the government taking more stern actions on human activities in forests to protect the water towers.
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