The majestic Baobab tree, an iconic symbol of Africa's diverse landscapes, holds great cultural, ecological, and economic significance. However, the exportation of Baobab trees from Kilifi County to other regions, such as Georgia, raises serious concerns about the potential harm it could inflict on the local ecosystem and community. Kilifi has experienced the third-highest rate of tree-cover loss in Kenya over the last two decades. 

Some of the reasons as to why Baobab tree exportation could be harmful to Kilifi County, include ecological disruption, biodiversity loss, carbon sequestration, soil health and erosion, invasiveness and loss of traditional heritage.

This petition therefore demands:

1. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry to ensure that exporters have the proper license to take the trees out of Kenya under the Convention on Biodiversity and the Nagoya protocol. These international agreements govern the conditions for the export of genetic resources, which have been incorporated into Kenyan law.

2. The County Government of Kilifi in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry,  Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Attorney General through the International Union For Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list the Baobab as an endangered and protected species. This will ensure that the Baobab appears in the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

Sign this petition to save the Baobab and retain the forest cover in Kilifi County

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