Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya has explained why Kenya imports toothpicks.
Speaking during an interview on Sunday night, Tuya said there is a huge deficit of wood in the country.
"By statistics, we have a deficit of about 15 million metric tonnes. And if we continue without casting or recasting the commercial forestry sector we will move to a deficit of 24 million tonnes," Tuya said.
"And that deficit is filled by imports from other countries. That is why we are importing toothpicks in Kenya."
Tuya questioned why the country should import toothpicks yet Kenya can augment its commercial forestry centre and create jobs for the youth and revenue.
Further, Tuya said the target to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 is not too ambitious as it will only require every Kenyan to plant at least 30 trees.
She said tree planting is also being embedded in the schools through the CBC curriculum.
"I think a child of five or six years can plant a tree," she said.
This comes after the High Court issued orders blocking an Executive Order by President William Ruto that lifted the ban on logging.
Ruto lifted the ban on logging on grounds that it would help increase timber supply in the country.
The president lifted the ban on logging and said the ban was long overdue, and that it was time for saw miller to harvest mature trees.
Ruto said mature trees were rotting in the forest while locals who relied on forest produce suffered.
"Mature trees are rotting in forests while locals suffer due to lack of timber, see the foolishness in this Country. We have lifted the moratorium that was put in place," Ruto said.
Though the executive orders by the President only touched on commercial forests, some moved to start logging in indigenous forests as well.
Ruto's Executive Order was stopped by the High Court which ruled that there had been no public participation and continued the ban for 90 days.
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