Chasing the wooden Rhino:The case of woodcarving in Kenya

Abstract

The woodcarving industry in Kenya, characterized primarily by carved bowls, rhinoceroses and giraffes, is the largest of its kind in Africa, generating an estimated US$20 million per year in export revenue (Obunga, 1995; Choge, 2002). This enormous industry relies on indigenous forests for its raw materials since the favoured species include Brachylaena huillensis (muhugu, muhuhu or 'mahogany') and Combretum schumannii (mkongolo). However, less than 2 per cent of Kenya is covered by closed-canopy indigenous forest, partly due to a range of activities supporting livelihoods through the use of forest products. For example, most Dalbergia melanoxylon (African blackwood, or mpingo) stocks in woodland areas have been depleted because this species is so highly favoured for carving. Commercial carving is consequently characterized by over-exploitation of favoured tree species, use of trees in smaller and smaller size classes, long-distance log trade, and carvers constantly shifting to new resource-rich frontiers for raw materials (see Figure 3.1). While carvers are increasingly using a number of alternative species, the question remains whether alternative woods can support the growing industry, This case study focuses on the area surrounding Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve, one of the larger forest reserves on the Kenya coast. Wood scarcity affects not only the woodcarving industry, but the furniture and other industries as well. As a result, there is a need to diversify the species used and to promote· on-farm cultivation of fast-growing trees for a woodcarving supply. The change to alternative carving wood has intro<iuced a number of challenges to the industry. The carving qualities of many species are poorly known, and poor seasoning results in cracking and fungal infection of finished carvings, leading to wastage· and loss of income and market share.