The Forestry Society of Kenya (FSK) has welcomed the lifting of the ban on logging in all public forests in the country by President William Ruto.
The FSK, which is also a professional organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management, said the move was long overdue.
FSK President Charity Munyasya thanked Ruto for considering the many issues that had been affected by the ban within the country.
“It is worth noting that plantation forests are established for the sole purpose of providing timber, poles, pulp and paper, and other products so as to meet the country’s demands,” she explained.
Speaking on October 27, 2025, Ruto lifted the ban to allow the harvesting of mature trees in forests across the country, saying the move is aimed at promoting local industries and reducing dependence on imported timber products.
Speaking at Molo Technical and Vocational College in the Elburgon area in Nakuru county, the head of state added that the decision was reached so as to ensure mature trees are put into productive use instead of rotting in the forests.
However, the ban, which was imposed in the country in 2018, affected the country negatively on the issues of the buying and selling of wood.
The ban left saw millers and furniture dealers importing wood from different countries, which can also be sourced locally, so as to meet the market needs.
“We couldn’t stop producing quality furniture. We had to start importing timber and the end product would of course be expensive. With what the government has done, we feel things might be easier,” said Samuel Mburu, a timber dealer from Kinoo.
The ban had also created like a chronic problem in forest management, as forests need to have a cycle of tree planting, taking care of trees, harvesting, and replanting, the FSK said.
“Statistics show that Kenya has been unable to meet its timber demand, resulting in a significant supply-demand gap,” she said.
The FSK noted that the lifting of the ban will help to address this shortage and provide opportunities for economic growth and job creation.
The President spoke at a time when the country’s strategy to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 was ongoing.
The FSK also recommended that harvesting should be undertaken in accordance with the Allowable Annual Cut (AAC) to prevent over-harvesting and maintain forest sustainability.
“We also encourage the government to promote the establishment of commercial plantations outside the earmarked plantation areas of 152,000ha,” she said. “This will help increase the supply of wood products,” Munyasya said.
An environmentalist, George Mbugua, said that the government cannot come up with a plan without a strategy on how to implement it. “So many issues have been checked and so many items put into consideration. The government has also consulted properly,” he said.
“This issue has come at a time when there is a campaign of planting more and more trees. It will not stop. We must accept the cycle of planting, growing, harvesting, and so on. These things have to happen,” Mbugua spoke at Kimende town in Kiambu county.
