Baringo County in bid to tame charcoal industry

The Baringo County Assembly has received a Bill that will see the sustainable production of charcoal.

Baringo County has for a long time been known as one of the major producers of charcoal in the country.

This has however gone on for years without relevant laws to make the business sustainable.

The Bill before the county assembly is aimed at promoting sustainable charcoal production through legal guidelines to ensure that forests are protected and environmental conservation is achieved.

“We know we are destroying the environment but we want to focus on the positives, not the negatives,” said a charcoal trader in the area.

According to the director of meteorology in the county, Simon Cheptat, excessive logging and charcoal burning has over the years have contributed to erratic weather patterns that are being witnessed in the area.

“Cutting down trees has affected the climate of this area,” said Cheptat.

With growing demand of charcoal fuel by households, the pressure on forests in the region remains a constant worry.

The Bill is therefore expected to tame this appetite while regularising the charcoal industry.