Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda which holds several accolades in environmental conservation for reputably being Africa’s greenest, cleanest city continues its ambition of a beautiful and ecological city.
Authorities have reminded residents that cutting trees requires authorisation from the city mayor in person.
A communique posted on the City of Kigali’s twitter account states: “It is prohibited to cut trees without authorization. Permission to cut a tree is only given by the City of Kigali authorities in an official written form. Illegal tree felling affects our environmental and is punishable by law”.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment and different stakeholders strive to create an effective green urban centre, that prevents environmental degradation and air pollution.
One of the officials from the City of Kigali explained last week, that this environmental protection strategy was adapted by the city council in August.
“Authorization to cut a tree is granted based on whether the tree in question is an obstacle to the surrounding, old, infested or located in a place wanted for construction purposes. Sometimes, advice is given to protect the tree instead of rushing to cut it,” the official said.
Any city resident wishing to cut a tree ought to seek authorisation from the Mayor of the City of Kigali. This is supposed to be through sector and district authorities who are also supposed to speed up the request.
