Kirinyaga County Kazi Mtaani Secretariat has engaged local youths in massive tree planting exercise in the area.
The youths in all the four area sub-counties planted an average of 1500 tree seedlings.
Speaking at Kerugoya Boys High school during a launch of the tree planting exercise Monday, Kirinyaga Central Sub-County Deputy Commissioner Daniel Ndege urged the youths to take the Kazi Mtaani initiative seriously.
“Even as you undertake various tasks, I urge you to do whatever is required with utmost dedication and diligence since the government will be selecting some of you for permanent engagements,” said Ndege.
He said the trees they planted under the supervision of officials from the Kenya Forest Service must be attended to until their maturity.
“I am sure it was not just a normal tree planting ceremony but one where skills were imparted in you on the proper methods to ensure the survival of the seedlings to maturity,” said Ndege.
The deputy county commissioner also commended the beneficiaries of the Kazi Mtaani program whom he said had now become youth champions.
Local Ecosystem Conservator Monica Masibo said the youths had even been taken through by her staffers on nursery preparation to seedling transplanting techniques.
She said the tree species the youths planted on acre plot was early maturing and good for both timber and wood fuel.
Masibo asked youths to establish their own private tree nurseries where the government will be ready to buy their mature seedlings at good rates.
“If you have any tree nurseries and mature seedlings please liaise with our field officers who will organize on how to buy them for us and this will certainly bring some income into your pockets,” she said.
At the site, 850 seedlings were planted with Masibo urging the school management to ensure they were protected to maturity.
A similar exercise is due next month at Ngaru and Kerugoya girl’s high schools.
By Irungu Mwangi