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Maathai Warns State On Forest
Settlements
The East
African Standard (Nairobi)
November 9,
2005
Evelyne Ogutu
Nairobi
Environment
Assistant minister Prof Wangari Maathai has called on the
Government to stop settling people in forests.
Maathai said
although she was in the Government, she was opposed to the
decision ,but had no authority to stop the move.
"I am
personally opposed to the issue of settling people in the forest.
If I had powers, nobody would be allowed to settle in forests.
But, unfortunately, I'm powerless," she said.
Speaking at
Wamagana Hall in her Tetu constituency on Monday, the Nobel Peace
Laureate vowed to continue agitating for conservation of forests.
She singled out
the Mau Forest where the Government recently allowed evictees to
resettle.
Maathai said
there was need to conserve the remaining forest cover from further
exploitation to avoid future catastrophe.
She said her
ministry had advised the Government, with assistance from donors,
to buy land for resettling those encroaching into forestland
countrywide.
"We cannot
go on eating into our forests and yet we are complaining of water
shortage. The Government must conserve the remaining
forests," said Maathai.
Meanwhile,
Maathai has faulted the current laws on drug abuse, saying they
favour traffickers and users.
"Our
country has become a conduit of all sort of drugs and this is the
time to reverse the trend if we want to save future generations,"
said Maathai.
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