Rare species of trees worth more than Sh8 billion have been destroyed by the fire raging on Mt Kenya since last week. Photo/FILE
By JOHN NJAGI and KNA jnjagi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, March 19 2012 at 22:30
Posted Monday, March 19 2012 at 22:30
Rare species of trees worth more than Sh8 billion have been destroyed by the fire raging on Mt Kenya since last week.
This came as it emerged that the joint effort by the regular and Administration Police, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and volunteers to put out the fire was failing due to lack of equipment.
Head of Eastern Forest Conservancy Samuel Ihure said the fire had razed bamboo trees valued at more than Sh8 billion in Chuka and Chogoria, destroyed water catchment areas, displaced and killed wildlife.
On Monday, regular and Administration Police officers abandoned a trip to put out pockets of smouldering ash blamed for rekindling the fire.
The team, led by Nyeri South police boss Adiel Nyange and his Nyeri Central counterpart Kirunya Limbitu, had trekked to the moorland only to discover they did not have the right equipment — they needed water, not flippers, to douse the flames.
“We are challenged because when you try to use flippers on the sections emitting smoke, the fire threatens to rekindle and it would rather be left that way,” said an officer who could not be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Another officer said they were resigned to praying for heavy rains to contain the inferno.
KWS assistant director Robert Njue said the agencies tasked with protecting forests were ill-equipped to respond to such emergencies.
“We are urging the government to provide us with money and we will not only be able to buy proper equipment, but be in a position to better plan for future emergencies,” he said.
The KWS has hired two private helicopters at a cost up to Sh1 million a day to carry water for extinguishing the flames. This is because the KWS and police helicopters cannot carry water and are only used to ferry firefighters to the highest points of the mountain and coordinate the exercise.
Officials expressed fear for mammals residing up the mountain.
“We believe we have lost a number of small mammals which cannot be able to run away from the fire,” said Mr Njue.
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