On 24th March 2015, a new forest cooperation agreement was signed between Kenya
and Tanzania, which set to improve the effectiveness of measures to reduce rampant
illegal logging and timber trade across the border.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Kenya Forest Service and the
Tanzania Forest Service outlines cooperative measures to help improve the
management of critical natural resources such as forests in the two countries.
Speaking in Arusha, Tanzania during the signing ceremony for the
MOU, the Chief Executive of Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) Mr. Juma S.
Mgoo noted that the implementation of the MOU would, over the next five-years,
focus on trans-boundary collaboration on law enforcement to reduce illegal
trade in forest resources such as timber.
“This is the beginning and we hope that in five years, all the areas identified
by the MOU will be fully implemented. We
aim to focus on undertaking law enforcement jointly and exchanging information
of trade and harvesting operations between both countries. The purpose of this
is to ensure that there is compliance on both sides where traders in Tanzania
and Kenya comply with laws and regulations regarding the management and
utilization of forest resources so that they are not depleted.” said Mr. Mgoo
The Director of Kenya Forest Services Emilio Mugo noted that
the implementation of the MOU would help manage forest resources of both
countries sustainably.
“This MOU is an effort to manage our forest resources in a more sustainable
manner together with our counterparts in Tanzania. We have together agreed to coordinate
our monitoring and law enforcement activities and share information regarding
trade in forest products along with taping into the knowledge base of forest
related products available in both our countries.”
The MOU is the result of a years’ work by the signatories, WWF
and TRAFFIC, which facilitated exchange visits and organized several meetings.
It is also expected to open the doors for greater cooperation and exchange of
experience in issues such as coordination of monitoring and law enforcement,
cross-border information sharing and sharing of expertise on forest products.
“We expect that the signing of this MOU will benefit the people of Kenya and Tanzania
who deserve increased access to benefits from forest resources which are
currently absorbed by illegal activities run by a very small group of people,”
said Isaac Malugu, WWF Tanzania’s Forest Programme Coordinator.
Over time, concern has been growing over the expansion of
illegal trade in forest products across the borders between Tanzania and Kenya. Between May and October 2011, a study carried
out by the East Africa Wildlife Society in partnership with the Tanzania
Natural Resources Forum titled, The Trade
in Forest Products Between Tanzania and Kenya revealed that Tanzania might
have lost revenues estimated at USD 8.33 million annually due to inaccurate
recording of figures and volumes of forest products, under-valuation of timber
and poles, illegal charcoal business and illegal harvesting and sales of logs
moving across boarders.
The same study revealed that the poorly regulated trade in
forest products between Kenya and Tanzania only amounted to a loss of USD
10,000 annually to Kenya. The study also
established that considerable movement of timber and other forest related
products across the border is carried out at the border points of
Horohoro/Lunga Lunga, Holili/Taveta and Namanga but with numerous illegal
crossing points present in both Kenya and Tanzania.
The group revisited the social policies which WWF subscribes to which
are on Human rights, Poverty and Nature,
Indigenous people and Gender and acknowledged to have social indicators in
their conservation programmes. Further to that a social safeguards tool were
developed and will be tested throughout
the region to see the compliant in SD4C frameworks. 
