A sideline to the ongoing climate summit in Nairobi is also underway at the Lake Basin Mall in Kisumu, targeting the same subject matter.
Kisumu County Commissioner Hussein Allason, while officially flagging off the convention, noted that the Kisumu convention intends to analyse the milestones already achieved in the climate mitigation efforts and what more can be done in similar efforts, even as the climate summit progresses in Nairobi.
“We have teamed up with the Lake Basin and the county government of Kisumu so that we are part of the process, and so we are here to flag off the cyclists to Nairobi in order to create awareness and to sensitise people on the importance of climate change mitigation.
The cyclists will traverse Kericho, Nakuru to Nairobi, going around creating awareness, and I hope that’s going to contribute towards positive change in our environment,” noted Allison.
The Kisumu County Executive for Trade and Industry, Farida Salim, pointed out that the climate meeting taking place in the area will catapult Kisumu to the forefront in matters of environmental conservation.
“And we are honoured as a county to be considered to have the first side event here in Kisumu; this is a big plus, and we are hoping that we will have it annually in a much bigger and better way, so we welcome all the participants who will be coming to attend this summit in Kisumu, and I welcome them on behalf of the county government of Kisumu, for we know very well that there can be no pride without us coming together to protect and conserve our environment,” said Salim.
The manager of the Lake Basin Development Authority, CPA Wycliffe Ochielga, emphasised that the meeting will play a crucial role in helping educate the people on the proper mechanisms for handling or responding to climate change.
“Along the way, we have a number of activities like tree planting, mostly fruit trees, and again, we are also sensitising the public on the possible opportunities that will come with it, since at the end of this summit we have to contribute to policy formulation on climate change.
We hope to tap into all the knowledge that is available and also to bring on board all the knowledge that is ordinarily not in the boardroom but with our elders in the community and a number of things that we are doing to mitigate the effects of climate change and to build resilience, among other measures.
Further, we also need to adapt modern technologies in agriculture, including irrigation, so that we do not rely so much on rain and also embrace solar-powered irrigation that will minimise the use of generators because we want to reduce emissions,” said Ochielga.
By Milton Onyango
