Timbeter participated in the program of the business delegation of the state visit of the Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid to Kenya. During the visit from 7 September to 11 September, a series of co-operation meetings were held to introduce the Timbeter solution to Kenyan government agencies, companies and UN agencies in Nairobi. On September 11, a high-level seminar on the importance of digital solutions in sustainable forestry was organized in cooperation with the Kenyan State Forest Service.
Timbeter began activities in Kenya as early as 2019, after the application was introduced at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi. Among the countries interested in Timbeter was Kenya, and cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment and the State Forest Service started. In 2020, Kenya formally confirmed its desire to use the Timbetter solution, and a two-year cooperation project was launched this year to digitalize Kenya’s forestry. Sustainable and efficient forest management is very important for Kenya – currently the share of forest land in the country’s area is only 7% and the Kenyan Constitution stipulates the need to increase it to at least 10%. Timbeter has a potential to improve the monitoring of timber use and to combat illegal logging. By replacing the current manual and paper-based measurements and reporting with Timbeter’s digital solution, Kenyan partners can be much more efficient and transparent in forestry.
During the visit, a high-level opening seminar of the project with the participation of president Kersti Kaljulaid, Kenyan government agencies and international environmental organizations was held. Speakers at the seminar included President Kersti Kaljulaid and Kenyan Minister of the Environment Keriako Tobiko, both of whom emphasized the importance and role of digitalisation of forest management in helping countries achieve their climate and environmental goals. Julius Kamau, Head of the Kenyan State Forest Service, reaffirmed his organisation’s readiness and commitment to pilot the Timbeter solution and adapt it to Kenyan needs. Today, the specialists of the Kenya Forest Service have already gained the first knowledge and experience on how to use the Timbeter solution, and a demonstration of digital timber measurement was conducted during the opening seminar. Representatives of the Kenyan forestry sector, the United Nations Environment Program and other environmental organizations who participated in the seminar were very interested in the possibilities of using the Timbeter application, and the event was widely covered in the Kenyan media. The broad-based and high-level commitment and interest create the preconditions for the success of the forthcoming cooperation activities, and for the sustainable integration of the Timbeter application into Kenya’s forestry on a lasting basis over the next two years.
Participation in the business delegation program of the President’s state visit enabled the company to introduce its activities to Kenyan government agencies, companies and organizations more widely. Timbeter representatives participated in meetings with the local IT Minister, business development organizations and met with representatives of UN organizations. Together with other entrepreneurs participating in the delegation, they took part in the Estonian-Kenya Business Forum.
Timbeter Ltd and the Kenyan State Forest Service’s cooperation project “Strengthening Sustainable Forestry Practices in Kenya: Introducing and Implementing Timbeter’s Innovative Timber Measurement Technology” is funded by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from development and humanitarian aid funds.
Images – Kenya Forest Service
