The story of the felling and subsequent export of eight thousand-year-old baobab trees from the Kenyan coast to the Eastern European state of Georgia had caused quite a stir in Kenyan public opinion and anger among environmentalists around the globe.
Indeed, one does not need to be an environmentalist to regret this, one only needs to be human and care about the earth and its resources.
That of the baobabs is one of the great battles that I personally have fought in every way and unfortunately believe I have lost.
The baobabs, which belong to private owners or under the auspices of local communities, had been sold to a Georgian broker representing Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, as reported by broadcaster NTV. According to the Georgian, who described himself as an expert and an environmentalist, this was not an illegal action as he had not only bought the baobabs (for a derisory sum, around 800 euro each) but had also obtained export licences.
The giant historical symbols of Africa and ancestral traditions were to be replanted in a botanical garden in the public park of the capital Tiblisi.
Instead, as could be expected, all the specimens died.
According to a statement by the park, which appeared in a Georgian newspaper, the baobabs died while waiting for permission to plant them, which was blocked by a battle described as 'ideological' that the government opposition and some non-governmental organisations allegedly waged.
"Due to their false interceptions and alarmist denunciations, the process of planting the plants, conducted in full compliance with the law, has been significantly delayed."
It is probable that Kenya's 'grand old men' would not have survived anyway, but the institutions blame 'hidden powers'.
Because of the delays, trees uprooted in 2021 could not reach Georgia until October 2023 due to artificially created obstacles. Only on 8 November 2023 were they finally planted in Georgian soil. Until then, the African 'giants' had to stay uprooted for almost two years in completely unsuitable environmental conditions, where they did not even receive proper maintenance. "Unfortunately, stress got the better of these unique plants and within six to seven months of planting them in the ground in Georgia, all eight baobabs expired," reads the statement, which points out that other baobabs imported and transplanted earlier would survive in Georgia.
Environmentalists in Kenya have urged the new Minister of the Environment, Aden Duale, to intervene to prevent further future destruction of these sacred trees, especially for the Mijikenda ethnic group on the coast, who consider them dwellings of the gods in their animist religion.
At the centre of criticism for what happened was the greed of certain people and corrupt institutions, which made an absurd operation possible in daylight.
"There are things that we should not turn into money, otherwise we will end up selling our children alive because they have healthy body organs," said Nature Kenya's coast manager, Francis Kagema.