The bishop of Kericho, Kenya, urges leaders to protect the country’s forests and preserve the common home.
By Sabrine Amboka, ACI Africa
Bishop Alfred Kipkoech Arap Rotich of the Catholic Diocese of Kericho has called for immediate government intervention to halt the destruction of the Londiani Forest Block, particularly the Sambret area and its surrounding ecosystem.
In his open letter to the President of the Republic of Kenya, President William Samoei Ruto, Bishop Rotich called for a shared responsibility for both the government and the church to protect the environment instead of destroying it.
“I address you with a heavy heart but with a steadfast hope rooted in our shared duty to safeguard our nation,” Bishop Rotich said in his letter published on Monday, August 3.
He added, “As the Shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Kericho, I am compelled by the spiritual gravity of the 2026 Lenten Campaign and the profound moral imperative of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si’ to raise an urgent cry for our common home.”
“Right before our eyes, a vital ecological sanctuary is being systematically dismantled. The Londiani forest block, and most critically the Sambret area and its surrounding ecosystem, is facing unprecedented destruction. What was created to be a source of life, clean air, and water for humanity, animals and plants is being sacrificed at the altar of short-term human greed and reckless exploitation,” he added.
Bishop denounces the destruction of the Sambret forest
He argued that the Church cannot remain silent as environmental degradation continues, noting that the destruction of the Sambret Forest represents both an ecological and a moral crisis.
The Catholic bishop quoted Laudato Si’, “the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor,” emphasizing that the destruction of the Sambret forest negatively affects not only the environment but all creation, including human beings.
“The devastation of the Sambret forest is not merely an environmental crisis; it is a direct assault on the livelihoods of our local communities, our future generation’s survival, and the common good,” he said.
The bishop further alleged that political interests have contributed to the continued encroachment of the protected forest, claiming that some members of the political class have encouraged or tolerated activities that undermine conservation efforts.
He called on the head of state to issue firm directives to all leaders to cease any actions that facilitate the destruction of protected forests and water catchment areas.
Featured image: A male Variable Sunbird (Cinnyris venustus), also known as the yellow-bellied sunbird, is one of the many species that depend on Kenya’s biodiversity. In an open letter to the country’s president, Bishop Alfred Rotich of Kericho called for a halt to the destruction of the Londiani Forest Block and its ecosystem. (Paul Jeffrey/Kenya)
