Kenya turns to technology to curb illegal logging

Kenya on Friday launched a mobile application to monitor forests in order to curb illegal logging.

Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Director Emilio Mugo said the smart phone application will enable users to report illegal activities in the forest.

"We expect the app to compliment the efforts of law enforcement officers to conserve Kenya's forests," Mugo said during the 20-year celebrations of the Kenya Forest Working Group (KFWG).

The mobile system is a joint initiative of the KFWG and the University of Nairobi.

Mugo said the app will reduce the cost of forest surveillance.

"Kenya's forests are spread across the country and we don't have sufficient resources to monitor activities in all forests at real time," he said.

According to government data, forest covers seven percent of Kenya's land mass. The director noted that Kenya has 142,000 hectares of plantation forest to supply wood to the timber industry.

"We don't allow logging in indigenous forest as they are used for conservation of watersheds and for use as wildlife habitats," he said.

KFS said the country has sufficient supply of wood to satisfy domestic requirements although Kenya imports small amounts from Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda

National Coordinator of the KFWG Jackson Bambo said Kenya's forests are under threat from human encroachment.

"Expanding population has forced some communities to clear forests for agriculture activity," Bambo said.

He added that the mobile app will enable communities to report on forests activities to a centralized server.

"The technology system is expected to enhance forests monitoring and reporting by various stakeholders for informed decision making," he said.

The system users are only required to have a smart phone to report any incidence in real time.

The coordinator said the app will help to educate the millions of Kenyans who have smart phones but have little information on forests conservation. Endit