Ruto Lifts Logging Ban In Mau Forest
Ruto said the move aims to revive the timber industry and create jobs, particularly in regions where sawmills were forced to shut down after the logging moratorium.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
President William Ruto has ordered the reopening of logging operations in the Mau Forest Complex, signalling a major policy shift in the government’s approach to forest resource management.
Speaking during a public engagement in Elburgon, Nakuru County, on Monday, October 27, Ruto stated that the move aims to revive the timber industry and create jobs, particularly in regions where sawmills were forced to shut down following the logging moratorium.
However, he stated that those licensed to cut down trees will have to replace the mature ones by planting tree seedlings, in line with President Ruto's goal of 15 billion trees within 10 years.
“Anyone who is given a licence to cut down trees will also plant where they cut down those trees so that we have trees to cut down in the future,” the President stated.
Aerial view of Mau Forest. /NEW AFRICAN MAGAZINE
“From this week, we have provided a contract for those saw millers to buy trees from our forests, and I will ensure that those people who were in Elburgon... I've even told your MP that those who have a factory in Elburgon should see me tomorrow so that I sort them out, they get trees, and start the factories in Elburgon.”
Ruto further directed local leaders to mobilise investors interested in timber processing, assuring them of government support.
“So, you, KK, look for whoever and bring them. I'll give them licences to cut down trees and come to start factories here,” he added.
The directive comes amid growing debate over balancing economic recovery with environmental conservation, as the Mau Forest remains one of Kenya’s most critical water catchment areas.
Environmental groups are expected to closely monitor how the renewed logging will be managed to prevent degradation and ensure reforestation commitments are upheld.
President Ruto also declared that Kenya will soon halt the importation of furniture from nations like China as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s local manufacturing industry, adding that Kenya has sufficient raw materials and technical capacity to produce its own furniture without relying on foreign suppliers.
He went on to announce that he has instructed Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui to develop and implement measures to actualize the new directive promptly.
"And I have told Minister Lee, matters of importing furniture; someone goes to China and Europe to buy a bed, a table, a door...that will stop. A bed will be made in Kenya, and chairs will be made in Kenya. Sofasets, doors will be made in Kenya, and wood pieces will be Kenyan-made. Those who will do that job will be Kenyans," he went on.
"I have said that whoever wants to import a bed from abroad will pay taxes and sweat. Someone doesn't want to sleep on a bed made in Elburgon? If he or she doesn't want to buy a bed from Elburgon, that person can sleep on the floor."
In a post on his official Facebook page, President Ruto, however, reaffirmed that restoring the Mau Forest Complex remains a central focus of his administration’s environmental and economic agenda.
He noted that the government is implementing a decade-long initiative to plant 15 billion trees nationwide as part of its broader environmental conservation strategy. The plan involves collaboration between government agencies, private investors, and local communities to promote large-scale tree planting and sustainable forest management.
According to Ruto, the full restoration of the 33,000-hectare Mau Forest Complex is expected to improve river water levels, enhance agricultural output, and sustain more than five million livelihoods in Nakuru County and surrounding regions.
His administration has already lifted a six-year logging ban, with official data showing timber sales from government forests tripled to record highs last year—a figure likely to rise even further following the latest directive.
