Kenya and China are working on implementing a memorandum of understanding relating to forestry and ecological conservation.
Officials of the State Forestry Administration of the People’s Republic of China and those from Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources met on Friday to draft an implementation plan in the areas of bilateral cooperation.
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Natural Resources Prof Judi Wakhungu led the Kenyan delegation in the bilateral talks held in Nairobi while the Chinese team was headed by Mr Chen Fengxue, the vice minister for the State Forestry Administration.
The two sides agreed on initially implementing three broad areas relating to climate change, supporting local livelihoods and developing bamboo industry then extend to other areas.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Chinese Prime Minister signed a memorandum of understanding in 2014 to strengthen bilateral cooperation in forestry and ecological conservation.
Mr Fengxue said the bilateral cooperation will include wildlife conservation, which falls under the China’s state forestry administration. Prof Wakhungu, for her part, said Kenya stood to gain immensely from the highly developed bamboo industry in China. She thanked the Chinese Government for supporting Kenya in Wildlife conservation by providing protection equipment to the Kenya Wildlife Service.
The CS noted that Kenya faced wildlife conservation challenges of a rapidly rising population competing for space with the existing conservancies. She said the Ministry is encouraging private land owners to incorporate wildlife conservation in their diversified land to promote the country’s wildlife heritage.
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