Kenya logging go-ahead broke the law - court

A Kenyan court has ruled it was illegal for the government to lift a ban on logging because the public had not been consulted.

In July, President William Ruto, who has cast himself as a climate change campaigner, said lifting the moratorium was aimed at creating jobs.

The Environmental and Land Court did however allow the felling of 5,000 hectares of mature forest to go ahead.

In a separate case, the same court dismissed a lawsuit challenging a government decision to allow the importation and cultivation of genetically modified crops.

Last year, the Kenyan government lifted a decade-old ban on GM crops as it faced an extreme drought.

The Law Society of Kenya launched a court challenge, arguing the decision was unconstitutional as there were concerns over the safety of the crops.

This article originally appeared on BBC News.

Image via AFP.