Prosopis Juliflora (Mathenge tree) was on Friday declared a threat to national security in Kenya.
“The invasive species has so far colonized 20 counties. According to a report, the total area covered by the Mathege tree is 2 million hectares of land and it spreads at a rate of 15 per cent per year,” said the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Keriako Tokibo.
The CS was speaking in Eldume Primary School, Baringo South Sub-county of Baringo County where Kenya joined the world to mark Desertification and Drought Day whose theme is “rising up from drought together”.
In a bid to curb the menace, Tobiko noted that the Ministry has for the last two years observed the growth rate, characteristics and uses of the tree to try and get a permanent solution to eradicate it.
One of the solutions to this menace as witnessed on Francis Ole Kipirich’s 22-acre farm in Salabani, Baringo South, is to uproot the tree and plant Cechrus Ciliaries (grass).
When mature, the seeds are harvested and go for Ksh 300-450 per kilogram while the stalks of the grass are left for animals to graze.
Another form of eradicating the Mathenge tree is burning it into charcoal using high recovery kilns. Using kilns leads to the curb of unnecessary tree cutting as it presents an opportunity for producing more charcoal while reducing wood wastage and environmental pollution.
