KFS and millers in row over debts
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has turned the table on saw millers, who claimed they are owed billions by the agency, and now wants to be paid Sh1 billion.
In a statement Thursday, KFS said it is owed in excess of Sh1 billion by the millers.
“Since 2018, the Service has made demands to the specific saw millers to make good and settle their debts through a public notice on October 18, 2018,” said KFS, adding that it will pursue the matter until all the debts are paid.
DEBTS OWED
The Service said it had not received any formal complaints from millers regarding any money owed. Consequently, KFS now wants any saw miller with evidence of monies owed to them to visit the respective Forest Stations and Ecosystem Conservator’s offices to lodge their complaints.
“All the complaints should be accompanied by relevant documents and evidence of payments as proof of authenticity,” said KFS in the statement.
It further said that it will deal with each individual claim to ascertain the truth of the matter.
Earlier this week, millers from the Mt Kenya region threatened to sue KFS for failing to provide them with mature trees to harvest in Mt Kenya Forest, despite having deposited huge sums of money to buy the trees.
LOGGING BAN
They alleged that they made the deposits way before the government imposed a ban on forest logging. The ban was extended last week by the Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko.
The Service said it was in the process of establishing a database of all saw millers through the recently developed online e-registration platform, “Which will guarantee transparency, fairness and accountability.”
It said the purpose of the electronic registration is to ensure that all prequalified saw millers are legitimate, have met all legal obligations as per law, and have the necessary sawmilling machineries of ‘acceptable’ efficiency for the various categories of sawmilling operations.
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