Mount Kenya forest fires contained – KBC

95 per cent of the fire that has razed part of Mount Kenya forest has been contained.  

Kenya Forest Service’s Chairman Peter Kinyua said at least 35,000 acres of forest cover at the wider Mount Kenya region have been destroyed.

Efforts by the combined contingent of troops from Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service’s and various non-governmental organization to contain forest inferno in parts of Mt Kenya have been succesful.

Kenya Forest Service’s Chairman Peter Kinyua says parts of  the Aberdare ranges and Shamata moorland are still burning.

At least five water bowsers have been deployed to Nyahururu airstrip to fill Crop Duster planes with water.

The Crop Duster planes can carry a capacity of up to 2,000 liters of water. The situation has also been helped by recent rains in the southern part of Mt Kenya region.

Kinyua added the team expects to suppress the fire by Sunday depending on the weather.

On Saturday, heavy rains on the southern side of the mountain put out the raging fire.

However, forest fires were still active at Shamata and Satima and they were burning towards the central moorlands of the Aberdares.

Speaking in Nairobi Sunday, Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko said there is need to allocate adequate resources to deal with forest fires.