The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining, chaired by Hon. David Gikaria (Nakuru East) held a meeting with the Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs)under its purview.

Three SAGAs; Kenya Forestry Service (KFS), Kenya Water Tower Agency (KWTA) and National Environment Tribunal (NET) appeared before the Committee on Wednesday to update Members on their mandates and functions, overall performance both financial and non-financial, challenges and proposed mitigation.

Led by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr.  Alexander Lemarkoko, KFS told the Committee that during the Financial Year  2022/2023 despite being allocated Kshs. 7.847 billion for implementation of its planned activities and development projects they only  received 95.72 percent of the allocated budget.

According to Mr. Lemarkoko, in line with its mandate and functions, KFS implemented 10 different projects during the financial year under review.

“Key achievements from these projects include; protection of 2.6 million hectares of 7,688 hectares of degraded forest areas, establishment of 1,485 hectares of forest plantation and establishment of 3,88 hectares of commercial forest and on-farm tree woodlands,” Mr. Lemarkoko said.

The Director General of KWTA, Prof. Julius Tanui,  told the Committee that it is mandated to coordinate and oversee the protection, rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of water towers.

The DG told Members that between 2013 and 2023 the agency had managed to fence 30 kilometers of Maasai Mau Forest Phase 1 fence project and rehabilitated over 3,500 hectares of degraded areas in water towers.

“There are 18 gazetted water towers with five classified as the major water towers. These are; Mau Forest Complex, Cherangani Hills, Mt Kenya, Aberdare Range and Mt. Kenya. We have also developed Ecosystem Conservation Plans (ESPs) for nine water towers namely; Elgeyo Hills, Nzaui, Gwassi Hills, Mt. Kipipiri, Mbooni, Mwangea Hills and Maasai Mau, Nyache and Kasigau Water Towers,” he said.

The Secretary of the National Environment Tribunal, Ms. Belinda Akello, told the Committee that restating their budget allocation to the initial Kshs.126 million from the current Kshs. 64 million will enable them to employ staff and stop depending on the current ones who are at tribunal on secondment.

“We are so understaffed and all the staff at the tribunal are there on a secondment. Back when we were still domiciled under the Judiciary, our budget allocation was Kshs. 126 million but since we moved to the Ministry our budget is now at kshs. 64 million,” Ms. Akello said.

The Committee is now set to meet with the National Environment Fund (NETFUND), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and National Mining Corporation (NMC).